Why do people want to be root?

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chrisuk

Why do people want to be root?

Post by chrisuk »

Years ago, Windows started to introduce a slightly-more secure approach to user privileges. Users were encouraged not to use the Administrator account, but to setup a "Normal User" account. The dialog asking for a password every time you wanted to do anything was hated by everyone (not by me), but over time, it became a bit more refined, and most people got used to it.

Most new to Linux have come from Windows, and they are used to this password approach to performing administrative tasks in Windows by now... so why do they want to be root in Linux? Why do they complain about it so much? They must be used to it in Windows, so why the different attitude? Or did they all exclusively use the Administrator Account in Windows? (assuming that's even possible on Windows 8 and beyond).
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xenopeek
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by xenopeek »

You'll have to ask them? We can only speculate ad infinitum :wink:
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Faust

Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by Faust »

chrisuk wrote:Years ago, Windows started to introduce a slightly-more secure approach to user privileges. .....
I agree with what you wrote , but I would call it "a massively-more secure approach " , yet most Windows box owners reject it ,
as if they were being told that they weren't allowed to use sharp knives unsupervised :D .

New processes requiring elevation are going to pop dialog boxes , right in the user's face , and if they didn't knowingly start it , they shouldn't allow it .
What could be simpler or easier than that ?
Most of the current AV industry would not exist !
GNU/Linux adopts and enforces this policy from the ground up ( and wisely IMO ) , apart from a few specialized distros

"Why do people want to be root? "
It is very interesting as a philosophical question , and I believe it is directly connected to the Dunning–Kruger effect .....
... example : - nobody considers themselves to be a bad driver ( no matter how dangerous or incompetent they are in reality )
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by Spearmint2 »

They like to live dangerously. It also gives them an excuse to run their AV every day looking for bad things they can remove. If successful, they feel they accomplished something. Keeps them from getting bored by just using a computer safely. It's also a social phenomenon, so they can gather in chat rooms and console each other for those who failed to recover their systems from some attack. It add excitement to their otherwise daily mundane lives.
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by Moem »

It makes them feel like they're in charge.
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by Pjotr »

Spearmint2 wrote:They like to live dangerously. It also gives them an excuse to run their AV every day looking for bad things they can remove. If successful, they feel they accomplished something. Keeps them from getting bored by just using a computer safely. It's also a social phenomenon, so they can gather in chat rooms and console each other for those who failed to recover their systems from some attack. It adds excitement to their otherwise daily mundane lives.
:lol: There are those who like to take a walk on the wild side:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KaWSOlASWc

"thought she was James Dean for a day" :lol:
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by Spearmint2 »

LOL, reminds me of this other song. I know this young guy back home who named his dog Lola, but had never heard the song.
So, I played it for him and his uncle was dying laughing when he realized how upset the nephew was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LemG0cvc4oU
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by Faust »

Moem wrote:It makes them feel like they're in charge.
Indeed it does !

There's an interesting parallel in today's auto industries ( or maybe it's a tangent ? - :? ) .

The would-be "owner" hands over their hard-earned Beer Tokens , in full payment and with "clear title" , only to find
that a lifetime spent acquiring the skills and tools to maintain and repair the vehicle have suddenly become useless !
Large parts of the system are effectively locked out to all but the authorized dealers
and it reminds me of some well-known " alternatives " to a Linux system .

There's a case going through the US courts about an owner's lack of right to modify , hack or even simply repair devices
that they have purchased outright .... ( not leased , work-related etc )

Hmm ... I thought I had wandered off-topic a little there ....
but then I noticed references to Lou Reed and The Kinks , so that's OK .... :D
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by shawnhcorey »

Spearmint2 wrote:LOL, reminds me of this other song. I know this young guy back home who named his dog Lola, but had never heard the song.
So, I played it for him and his uncle was dying laughing when he realized how upset the nephew was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LemG0cvc4oU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IUMCyAR6U0 (because someone had to :mrgreen: )
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by trytip »

not sure if you asking why would someone log in as root of if they want access to root partition files? i have always used root to edit my hosts or sudoers, copy and edit icons.
you should realize that the day developers end access to root is the day linux becomes closed like the Android phones. latest kde plasma started and is now completely non-root when it comes to the dolphin manager and kate text editor.
if you buy a car and the manufacturer removes access to your engine and you are not allowed to work on it and maintain it how you see fit, you have lost your freedom.
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by shawnhcorey »

trytip wrote:not sure if you asking why would someone log in as root of if they want access to root partition files? i have always used root to edit my hosts or sudoers, copy and edit icons.
you should realize that the day developers end access to root is the day linux becomes closed like the Android phones. latest kde plasma started and is now completely non-root when it comes to the dolphin manager and kate text editor.
if you buy a car and the manufacturer removes access to your engine and you are not allowed to work on it and maintain it how you see fit, you have lost your freedom.
Debian distros do not have a root user; system maintenance is done with `sudo`. If you have a Debian distro and it has a root user, then someone has hacked your machine.

People want root because they think it gives them more power. What it really does is give them access to dangerous things. Power: yes. Responsibility:more than most people feel comfortable with.
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Re: Why do people want to be root?

Post by Bolle1961 »

shawnhcorey wrote:Debian distros do not have a root user; system maintenance is done with `sudo`. If you have a Debian distro and it has a root user, then someone has hacked your machine.
Wrong. When you install Debian you can choose to create a root account or not
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