change login screen

[Rick Stevens]

Ron Siven wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 7:14 PM, Rick Stevens <ricks at nerd.com> wrote:
> 
>> Roger wrote:
>>
>>>>  By default, it doesn't let you log in graphically as root.  Do you
>>>>> really need to do that?  It's, generally, a VERY BAD idea.  The best
>>>>> solution is, usually, to log in as yourself, then "su -" in the command
>>>>> line to become root, and issue the commands you want.  Or run the
>>>>> graphical tool that you want to use, through the menus, and type in the
>>>>> root password when prompted.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> This is an interesting one.
>>>>
>>>> I, too,  need to graphically log in as root to delete several old
>>>> kernel and kmod directories quickly and easily as per discussions on my
>>>> recent and continuing akmod problem. Doing it one file at a
>>>> time in the numerous directories is laboroius and error prone.
>>>>
>>>> I can't use the GUI there is no login for handling files that I can find.
>>>>
>> As someone else said, logging into the desktop as root is a bad idea.
>> A lot of the tools there are dangerous to use if you take the safeties
>> off (as they are when you're root).  For example, if you are root and
>> you navigate to, oh, say "/" in Nautilus, "Select All", "Move to Trash"
>> and click "Yes", bye-bye system.  That can't happen if you're not root.
>>
>> If you must do things as root, the best idea is to log into the desktop
>> as a regular, mortal user and open up a terminal window.
>>
>> In that window, enter "su -".  At the password prompt, enter root's
>> password.  Now you're root in that terminal.  Do whatever you want to
>> do.  Enter "exit" to stop being root, or simply close the terminal
>> window.
>>
>> You can also simply press CTRL-ALT-F2 to switch to a regular console.
>> Log in as root there and go do your thing.  Press "ALT-F1" to return
>> to the desktop.  Yes, you have to do things on the command line, but
>> hopefully you only need to do things as root very rarely.
>>
>> That's not too hard, is it?
>>
>>
> And, if you feel you need to run a GUI program like nautilus, you can simply
> call it from the command line as root.

Also true.  Good point.  The warnings about the "safeties being off" 
apply.  Easy to shoot yourself in the gonads doing things that way.
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- Rick Stevens, Systems Engineer                      ricks at nerd.com -
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-        Artificial Intelligence usually beats real stupidity.       -
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