Really Easy Q Re: Root User/ Admin Account Same?

[Alcidious]

Hi,

I'm running Ubuntu 11.10 32-bit. I've read over and over not to log in and run your system as root, but is this the same as the main user/admin account first set up during installation? When I install programs I always use sudo ... but do I need to create an additional personal account to use for everyday email, browsing, etc? Or am I fine using the main account, given Ubuntu's protections against running as root?

Thanks, I know this is a really simple question... but I'm still a newbie.

Alcidious

[idoitprone]

Hi,

I'm running Ubuntu 11.10 32-bit. I've read over and over not to log in and run your system as root, but is this the same as the main user/admin account first set up during installation? When I install programs I always use sudo ... but do I need to create an additional personal account to use for everyday email, browsing, etc? Or am I fine using the main account, given Ubuntu's protections against running as root?

Thanks, I know this is a really simple question... but I'm still a newbie.

Alcidious

nope not the same


root is an user in your system that controls everything
you cannot loggin as a root, but it is locked in ubuntu

sudo is a command that allows you to run commands as other users
for example. run the command

whoami

it should return your accound
but I want to run a command as idoit

sudo -u idoit whoami

it should return that I am an idoit

It could only run commands as proxy of users that exist on your system

the most likely case is the default which run commands as root

A sudoer is basically a user in the sudoers group that can run root
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

[phaed]

Root is separate from the main user account. You don't need to create another one.

[Alcidious]

Awesome! I really appreciate the clarification. I'm getting ready to rid my pc of my windows partition, and I wanted to be sure I wasn't making a really stupid mistake (by using my usual account) ... thanks again!