Please settle an argument...

[Nulland Void]

It's mainly a matter of webmastering with php, MySQL, etc..., and needing quick and easy access to any file.

su'ing can get very annoying.
There's phpMyAdmin and other such slave drivers which require "root" privileges. Something to do with me being the db owner (I think).

Yes I know, I know. There's probably a way to do it otherwise (or is there???).

I don't do IRC, or any of these other type of things.
Hell, after 5 years of being connected, I've never even tried usenet yet.

I went to slashdot once, and after 2 minutes I got a headache and had to leave.

I'm just a non-descript, inconspicuous little feller running a non-descript, inconspicuous little ol' website in a backwoodzy part of the country.

I just wish I coud find a "relatively" safe way to work as root from time to time. It's very practical.

So com' on you cyber masters; legends in your own time; gods of the dark protocols; find me a way to work securely as root ;)

[skroo]

Originally posted by Nulland Void
It's mainly a matter of webmastering with php, MySQL, etc..., and needing quick and easy access to any file.

That would be what su is for as opposed to logging directly in as root.

su'ing can get very annoying.

Not to be a smartass, but if this is too much to deal with I'd suggest looking towards other operating systems. Seriously... There's always going to be a tradeoff between ultimate security and usability. This is it. Accept it or develop a better method that gets rolled into the kernel codebase.

I went to slashdot once, and after 2 minutes I got a headache and had to leave.

Understandable; Slashdot is almost entirely Linux weenies. They suck as much as BSD zealots or Windows dupes.

I'm just a non-descript, inconspicuous little feller running a non-descript, inconspicuous little ol' website in a backwoodzy part of the country.

Bzzt. Wrong. Don't try to cutesy it up to escape dealing with how things work. That won't fly here.

I just wish I coud find a "relatively" safe way to work as root from time to time. It's very practical.

su is it. Like I (and others) have said, it's a tradeoff. Much as in real life, at some stage you ultimately have to take responsibility for your actions; su provides you with the bridge to that point.

So com' on you cyber masters; legends in your own time; gods of the dark protocols; find me a way to work securely as root ;)

Please stop stroking the collective wang. Everyone's been pretty straightforward about answering your questions, but, to quote Ferris Bueller: "you can't respect someone who kisses your ass."

[Nulland Void]

No cutesyness or ass kissing here.

Just trying to be humorous to avoid being depressed at the thought of having to abandon the practicability of root privileges.

Sorry you misunderstood.

I do have the tendency to take nothing seriously (especially myself), and that seems to bother some people.

I have learned some good things in this thread, and wish to thank you all for it.

Ta

[KeLviN]

Originally posted by Nulland Void
No cutesyness or ass kissing here.

Sorry you misunderstood.
Ta

so he kisses our asses, then calls us idiots... hmmm...

he's kissing the asses of idiots.... how dumb must that feel....

[octalpus]

Originally posted by Nulland Void

Just trying to be humorous to avoid being depressed at the thought of having to abandon the practicability of root privileges

You're not abandoning root privleges. You're using a more secure way to obtain them, temporarily, as needed.

[Nulland Void]

Originally posted by KeLviN
so he kisses our asses, then calls us idiots... hmmm...

he's kissing the asses of idiots.... how dumb must that feel....

Sorry you misunderstood.

"You're not abandoning root privleges. You're using a more secure way to obtain them, temporarily, as needed."

I see that now. Thanks.
(I still have a lot to learn)

[Chris]

Ok, this thread has pretty much run it's course.

To summarize...
Don't log in as root
Log in as a regular user and su
When you are finsihed with tasks that require Super User privs exit the su.

One other option...use sudo.

I am closing this thread now. If anyone feels that they have any info that would expand on the ideas already presented PM me and I will consider reopening this one.

Thanks...