Re: [Hampshire] xubuntu su <>sudo question

Hi Tim,

2009/7/12 Tim <xendistar@???>:
> I followed the instruction in the link but it still does not work (or rather it
> does not give the desired affects). If I go to add\remove programs and select a
> program to remove, it pop up and ask me to enter the root password, I enter the
> password, it goes away and comes back a couple of seconds later saying wrong
> password, I renter the password and it then just fades the background and sits
> there doing nothing until I click the cancel button.
>

Yes, this is as a result of the change you made, re-enabling the root account.

> I found the file Martin mentioned although I am not sure what\or if I should
> edit it (the header in the file suggests I don't). I did find how to stop the
> user from being able to administer the system in user settings (now that was
> fun when you disable that and then can't get back in!!)
>

man sudoers

Will detail the documentation for that file. In a nutshell it lists
who can issue the 'sudo' command and what they can do with it. In an
Ubuntu install the first user is put in the admin group which is given
sudo rights, so the first user is effectively the 'admin' of the
machine. You can of course change this by simply manipulating the
group assignments using the graphical user admin tool, or if you're
more command line inclined by editing files in /etc or issuing the
relevant user maintenance commands.

> At the moment the laptop has two users, my son and root, I have reverted back to
> giving my son account rights to administers the system. I did try logging in as
> root but It won't let me.
>

Personally I'd revert the change you did (re-disabling root) and
create a new admin user (yourself) on the box, and take your Son out
of the admin group.

> I can work a round this by setting myself up as a third users with rights to
> administer the system and remove those rights from my sons account, but I just
> think I should be able to revert to a old fashioned user and root access (or
> maybe not as the case is proving)??
>

You can do that, but as the page I linked to indicates, it's not the
way Ubuntu tends to do it.

Cheers,
Al.