[vox] linux recommendation

[Ruben Safir]

> >because a hard drive is causing problems?
> >
> >I'm failing to see how not having a root user is an advantage.  
> 
> For a home computer, I see some advantages:
> 
> a) hardware failures are most generally addressed by booting a CD, not
> using one hard disk/partition to fix another.
> 

I've always booted from the root partition which is what init 1 is
for.  Once there, I can do nearly anything.  My server machines
have no CD Roms, as  a matter of corperate security policy...
as it should be really.

> b) having a root password means someone must be root and take 
> responsibility for keeping the root password safe... most people are not 
> good at keeping track of one password, let alone multiple passwords.
> 
> c) sudo provides a maintenance trail to see what maintenance was done, 
> when, and by whom.

Compiling my custom Apache modules into Apache without root would be 
a real PIA, but by all means, the presense of root doesn't mean
you have to use it.  It does mean that you can log in as root.

I have a N800 Nokia GNU based tablet and the lack of root is a big
disadvantage.

Ruben
-- 
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world  - RI Safir 1998 http://fairuse.nylxs.com  DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002 "Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME" "The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own society." "> I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.< You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attacted at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt.  I guess you missed that one."