[QUOTE=DenverD;2337352]On 05/09/2011 04:06 PM, tb75252 wrote:
>
> Yes, that is the only user.
Linux is a multi-user system…and each user should have their own
account…
even on machines used by only one warm body, there should be at least
two users: the normal user and the System Administrator, also known as
‘root’ or super user…
this is unlike the way Windows does it because Windows was not born a
multi-user system as was Linux and all *nix-like systems…
consequently you should never log into KDE/Gnome/XFCE or any other
*nix-like system’s graphical user interface desktop environment as root…
doing so 1) opens you up to several different security problems if you
(for example) browse the net, 2) too many too easy ways to damage your
system no matter how careful your actions (for example: well documented
cases of unintended change of ownership of ~/.ICEauthority and
~/.Xauthority from user to root sometimes occurs), 3) anyway logging
into KDE/etc as root is never required to do any and all
administrative duties, 4) and, not even logging in as root just to see
if it works as root is useful, because the “yes” or “no” learned is
almost always totally useless in finding the problem giving the
symptoms. however, logging in as root to learn the yes/no could the
cause of the next adverse symptom encountered.
so, always log in as yourself, and “become root” by using a root powered
application (like YaST, File Manager Superuser Mode) or using “su -”,
sudo, kdesu, or gnomesu in a terminal to launch whatever tool is needed
(like Kwrite to edit a config file)…read more on all that here:
SDB:Login as root - openSUSE
Become su in Terminal - HowTo
graphical root login no longer allowed after update from KDE 4.5.0 to KDE 4.5.1
Problem with permission
“Sign in as ROOT and…”](http://tinyurl.com/6ry6yd)
additionally: after logging into KDE/Gnome/etc as root, if you
experience problems (for example, with uncommanded file ownership and
permissions changes) and if you can provide us with details of what you
were doing while you were logged in as root, that would help us identify
if there’s a bug that needs to be fixed…thanks for your help…
i suspect that failure to follow this standard Linux operating procedure
has cause grave damage to your system…i think the easiest way to
recover is probably do a format reinstall and begin doing your regular
user work as a named user, and exercise administrative powers by
becoming root only as needed (and, never by logging into KDE/Gnome and etc)
–
CAVEAT: C A V E A T
[openSUSE11.3 + KDE4.5.5 + Firefox3.6.17 + Thunderbird3.1.10 via NNTP]
HACK Everything → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Thanks for your reply.
Being a relatively new user of Linux, I might have misstated the details in my original posting…
When I installed openSUSE, I was asked to create one user name and a corresponding password. I then manually ticked the option to require a login screen instead of directly going to the desktop environment upon booting up.
When the system alerts me that there are new patches/updates etc. to download, I use the same password to authorize their download and installation. That is why I was originally referring to a “root password” even though, on second thought, I don’t think that I was using the correct terminology. Again, I apologize about this misstatement caused by my lack of expertise with Linux terminology.
I think (but I am not 100% sure!) that my problem started when I was at the login screen and decided to select GNOME as the desktop environment to use. (Normally, upon logging in, the KDE environment is loaded.) That is when I started receiving the dreaded “Login failed” message. It seems so strange that an action like this would create havoc with my login password, but I cannot think of anything else I did that could have caused the problem.
I hope I have explained the situation more clearly.
