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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/20/2013 10:23 AM, Patrick
O'Callaghan wrote:<br>
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cite="mid:CACb5vLVQLYpB+CBYMgWxJDTK_e7tVnN95cpM7PA4wXno-uGJRA@mail.gmail.com"
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 3:14 PM,
Robert Moskowitz <span dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:rgm@htt-consult.com"
target="_blank">rgm@htt-consult.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
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<div>On 12/20/2013 10:03 AM, Patrick O'Callaghan
wrote:<br>
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<div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at
11:38 AM, Robert Moskowitz <span dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:rgm@htt-consult.com"
target="_blank">rgm@htt-consult.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
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<div>You mean like lowering inittab to 3,
logging in as root, then running startx so
you can get the full root gui experience?<br>
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<div class="gmail_extra">No, I mean logging into
the desktop as root rather than as a normal
user. This is generally frowned on.<br>
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Isn't this pretty much the same? Once you lower inittab
to 3, there is no problem logging in as root. startx then
gives you your root gui.<br>
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What am I missing. <br>
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You seem to have got hold of the wrong end of the stick. I'm
not trying to explain how to get root in a desktop. I'm just
saying that this is often cited as a bad idea. The argument is
that you should get root for a specific task (such as editing
a system file) and then give it up at once. Running the
desktop as root means you're going to be doing all sorts of
things that don't actually need root, thus increasing the
security threat. It's an aspect of the Principle of Least
Privilege. Added to that, the X system itself has in the past
had a number of vulnerabilities which would make running the
desktop under root more dangerous.<br>
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Got it now. We are both on the same side of the page. Just got
there from different directions.<br>
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