:: Re: [DNG] sudo or su?
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Author: Edward Bartolo
Date:  
To: Steve Litt
CC: dng
Subject: Re: [DNG] sudo or su?
Hi,

Sudo is used to run a command as root (Super User DO) without typing
the root password. Sudo can also be used to run a command as another
user. It can also be used to lower privileges on a command. For
instance, suppose you have logged in as root in a terminal without X
running and you want to start X as an unprivileged use. This can be
done as follows:

sudo -U user startx

The beauty in it is that it starts X as a normal user while running
root is logged in.

Although the above is not probably why sudo was written it
demonstrates one of its many uses.

The Sudoers file:

This file can be abused to allow all users to run commands as root by
simply preceding commands by 'sudo'. If you are in a situation
requiring some users to have access to commands that are only
accessible to root, sudoers can be used to enable such users to run
the minimum of commands an admin may wish. This enhances local
security. Specifying command parameters in sudoers for every command
for users defined in sudoers, also improves security.

Using sudo the Ubuntu way is like leaving a master key in the wrong
hands. Preceding a command by the same string is no security at all
when sudo is configured the Ubuntu way.

Edward

On 22/05/2016, Steve Litt <slitt@???> wrote:
> On Sun, 22 May 2016 10:34:57 +0300
> Lars Noodén <lars.nooden@???> wrote:
>
>
>> As far as default settings go, instead of defaulting to
>>
>> %sudo ALL=(ALL:ALL) ALL
>
> Yeah, that's the first thing I comment out.
>
> And the first thing I add are nopasswd commands so slitt can mount and
> unmount. Probably, in my case, I should make it so slitt can do
> updatedb too.
>
> SteveT
>
> Steve Litt
> May 2016 featured book: Rapid Learning for the 21st Century
> http://www.troubleshooters.com/rl21
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