root in FC 10

[Todd Zullinger]

Tom Horsley wrote:
> On Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:10:36 +1030 Tim
> <ignored_mailbox at yahoo.com.au> wrote:
> 
>> Compared to logging in graphically as root leaves you much more
>> open to security flaws in the graphical systems doing much more
>> than you were doing.
> 
> Ah yes, here it is again - GUIS are horribly flawed and ridden
> through with security bugs.

The point is that you should always run with the least amount of
privileges to perform a task¹.  Running a desktop session as the root
user means that you are running far more code than you would if you
ran as a normal user and only used root to execute the programs that
need root privileges -- e.g. the system-config-* tools and such.

There is also effort being put into separating the GUI part of various
system tools from the parts that require root privilege.  For example,
this allows a normal user to run a date/time configuration tool and
only uses root privilege to actually change the system time.

It does not mean that the GUI is entirely untrustworthy or unsuitable
for use.  It just means that best practice is to run as little code
with superuser privilege as is needed.

> If that is really the case, then no one should be logging into any
> GUI at all for any reason since you'll be exposing your own data to
> all those security kooties waiting to leap out of the GUIs on them.

A little hyperbole with your coffee? ;)

¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_least_privilege

-- 
Todd        OpenPGP -> KeyID: 0xBEAF0CE3 | URL: www.pobox.com/~tmz/pgp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The race for quality has no finish line- so technically, it's more
like a death march. 
    -- Demotivators (www.despair.com)

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