Re: [NTLK] root on OSX

From: Hans Derycke (hans_at_derycke.com)
Date: Tue Apr 15 2003 - 13:47:34 PDT


--- "Shawn H" <unity_at_mac.com> wrote:
>OT: I guess root can be "dangerous" if you don't know what you are
>doing, but since the release of OS X I have always used user root and
>have no adverse problems with the OS or any services running.

It isn't just a question of "I know what I'm doing" (oh, those famous last words...). If you ever get a virus, it will run as root. If you get a Trojan, it will run as root. If you ever get hacked by a script kiddie, they will run as root...

Personally, I don't have root activated, and I have two accounts: one administrator, for when it's needed, and one user account, for my day-to-day stuff.

Most of the time, if there's a file I can't touch as the user, I can change the permissions back and forth as needed, so there's not much need to be administrator.

Hans Derycke

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