First,
All modern OS require you to login to do anything that requires elevated permissions. Returning to the old “WinXP” days when you could do anything without being prompted for root or admin permissions is considered a serious security risk today because Users are typically not able to recognize when malware wants to install and run. So, although it’s an imperfect solution (the User may still grant permission) at least requiring you to grant special permission allows you a last chance to avoid being “owned.”
That said,
You can minimize how often you need to enter root credentials…
- If you use YAST2, for as long as it’s open you can open individual applets without providing credentials again. So, organize your work so that if you open YAST you do all your YAST work before closing.
- Unlike other distros like Ubuntu, openSUSE allows and even encourages the use of a root “su” console. For as long as that console is open, you can execute any work that requires elevated permissions instead of repeatedly entering “sudo” all the time for every command that requires elevated permissions. Note that unlike other distros like Fedora (and Ubuntu) openSUSE enhances all the default console apps in every Desktop by (among other things) highlighting the text in a root console so you <know> it’s a root console.
As for your mounting issue, I’m going to guess that you’re running a Desktop that detected and mounted your storage automatically.
Open the File Manager for your Desktop (Dolphin if you’re using KDE, PCMan for most “light” desktops) and see whether your disk storage is listed.
TSU