[ale] Linux Distributions

[George Carless]

> > There is no need.  Place the user in the appropriate groups if they need
> > access to something.  If you want to have the user be able to play
> > audio, then place them in the audio group.  If you want them to have
> > access to the CD/DVD/whatever, then let them ('man 5 fstab' is a good
> > read, the 'users' keyword is what you're looking for).
> 
> Michael, you are making my point.
> 
> My "toying" with the all-root-all-the-time premise is to point out that
> what you (and those before you) are identifying are part of the 1000
> things that need to be done post install in order to make a Linux
> desktop system usable.  If doing the Lindows way of run-as-root then
> those 1000 things are gone and the inexperienced user has IMMEDIATE out
> of the box functionality.  The only thing left is the question of risk.

The words "only thing" minimise what is a very important thing.  This is the problem.  
Nobody disagrees that there is some *compromise* between security and convenience; but 
to run as root is no compromise at all (except, if you'll excuse the pun, the compromise 
of your Lindows user's system).

> We are not trying to identify how to do things (most of us know these
> things alread), just trying to identify/contradict the risks.

Running as root, the risks you can't identify (because computers, operating systems, and 
applications are complicated things) have the potential of screwing your system over and 
of having your box be used in ways over which you have no true control.  Running as a 
user with appropriate permissions, that risk is seriously mitigated.

Honestly, this is so elementary that I'm really starting to think that you people are
simply stupid. ;D

--George
--------------------------------------
George Carless ... kafka at antichri.st
Words are just dust in deserts of sound