Root/Admin rights for normal users

Is there a way that I give normal users the same rights as the root? Or do I have to login as root always to use the root priveleges?

You shoule NEVER give normal users the admin rights. You get them temporarilyby typing su or su - but NEVER, NEVER login as root. Have a read here:

Concepts - openSUSE

and here: SDB:Login as root - openSUSE

> Is there a way that I give normal users the same rights as the root? Or
> do I have to login as root always to use the root priveleges?

never a good idea to give (even yourself) constant root powers (doing
that will make your Linux as vulnerable as all other operating systems
which do that routinely…like Redmond’s systems)

and, never ever log into the graphical desktop (KDE, Gnome, etc) as
root…always log in as yourself and then “become root” as and when
necessary…like, for example: most of the things you might need to
change, install, uninstall or configure can be done through the all
around tool called YaST…just click on it and it will ASK YOU for
the root password…then YOU (as a normal user in KDE) have root
powers inside of YaST to do all kinds of things…

see/learn more at http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Login_as_root

there are lots more things to learn here…you might begin at
http://en.opensuse.org/Concepts

read it all, because you will need it all…
see the secion 4, on “software handling” read it and you will see that
you no longer need to (for example) go to the Sun site and download
java…nope, we do it a much more MODERN (and safe) way here…we use
YaST…

welcome to openSUSE


goldie
Give a hacker a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach man and you feed him for a lifetime.

On Wed August 19 2009 02:30 pm, goldie wrote:

>> Is there a way that I give normal users the same rights as the root? Or
>> do I have to login as root always to use the root priveleges?
>
> never a good idea to give (even yourself) constant root powers (doing
> that will make your Linux as vulnerable as all other operating systems
> which do that routinely…like Redmond’s systems)
>
> and, never ever log into the graphical desktop (KDE, Gnome, etc) as
> root…always log in as yourself and then “become root” as and when
> necessary…like, for example: most of the things you might need to
> change, install, uninstall or configure can be done through the all
> around tool called YaST…just click on it and it will ASK YOU for
> the root password…then YOU (as a normal user in KDE) have root
> powers inside of YaST to do all kinds of things…
>
> see/learn more at http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Login_as_root
>
> there are lots more things to learn here…you might begin at
> http://en.opensuse.org/Concepts
>
> read it all, because you will need it all…
> see the secion 4, on “software handling” read it and you will see that
> you no longer need to (for example) go to the Sun site and download
> java…nope, we do it a much more MODERN (and safe) way here…we use
> YaST…
>
> welcome to openSUSE
>
OrangeSuse;
By now you’ve heard that this is not a good idea. In addition to YaST you
should also look at the following commands:


su
sudo
gnomesu
kdesu

Each of these allows you to use root privilege as a normal user for one or
more commands. If you run KDE, look at “File Manager-Super User Mode”, this
can allow you to do file manipulation and editing with root privilege.

P. V.
“We’re all in this together, I’m pulling for you.” Red Green

W0w, lot heavy replies. xD
But know enough. Thanks.

To expand on what everyone said above, the idea of user/group permissions is the core of 'Nix’s security model. (There are enhancements nowadays, like AppArmor and SELinux, but that’s a different discussion.) Linux, which is modeled after Unix, is a multi-user operating system out of the box. Windows desktop systems typically aren’t; one person normally boots up, does everything, and then switches off for the day.

Unix is an always has been a multi-user system. To give you an idea, suppose you’re running a Web server on your machine and three people have access to it. Only you and one other should be able to add and delete web pages. With Linux, it’s childishly simple: you place the Web server’s directory/folder in a special group – ex., “WebStuff” – and then put yourself and that one other person in the group “WebStuff.”

Now you and the other person can change the Web pages, but the third one can’t.

Going back to the Windows example, suppose that WAS a true multi-user machine – Bob uses it overnight, Mary in the morning and you in the afternoon. Suppose Bob decides to install something that hoses all of your work. Historically, this has been criminally simple under Windows, precisely because the default is to allow any/all users the same permissions. (I realize that you can make it more secure now, but I’m speaking of the defaults and historical practice.)

Historically, this would NOT happen under Unix. (But I also add here parenthetically that there there have been Linux distros that do just as you asked – permit anyone to do anything. They haven’t been well-accepted by the community for the reasons listed above.)

Bottom line – if you’re going to live in the Unix world (and welcome to it, by the way!), you’ll learn to accept this way of thinking. In time, you’ll learn to appreciate and very much prefer it. :slight_smile:

What about us running JBOSS?
I need admin rights to install and deploy JBOSS AS7.
running the server with root is a horrible idea

You will make your machine open to invaders

Not to mention the server. I’m new to OpenSUSE, and I don’t know very much(yet).