f20 - gedit

[Patrick O'Callaghan]

On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 3:14 PM, Robert Moskowitz <rgm at htt-consult.com>wrote:

> On 12/20/2013 10:03 AM, Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 11:38 AM, Robert Moskowitz <rgm at htt-consult.com>wrote:
>
>> You mean like lowering inittab to 3, logging in as root, then running
>> startx so you can get the full root gui experience?
>>
>
>
>  No, I mean logging into the desktop as root rather than as a normal
> user. This is generally frowned on.
>
>
> 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.
>
> What am I missing.
>

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.

poc
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