why root?

Message

alexandrion · #1 Post by **alexandrion** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 07:39

is there a good reason why the main user is root?
how can i change the autologin to log me in as a different user?

nooby · #2 Post by **nooby** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 10:18

We had another such questions very recently, and as far as I know you can be root or user spot. But spot does not behave like an ordinary user on Ubuntu so not sure if it helps much to acheive what you are used to from other distors of linux.

Why? Because Barry Kauler wanted it that way when he did the first Puppy and since then it has been that way.

Several? have done multi user Puppies.

Pizzaisgood the most recently version based on Puppy 421 or was it 412?

You can help me search for it.

It was mentioned about very recently.

But as far as I know one need to be good at programming to add such functionatlity to Lupu 5.2 or other very recent version. Remastering and so on?

russoodle · #3 Post by **russoodle** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 12:36

Hi guys,

Nooby, you're right, it is based on 4.2.1....

Alexandrion, Pizzasgood's Puppy 4.2.1 Multi-User R3 (101mb) can be found here if you want to try it.
Enter user: puppy and pawsword: linux for d/l.

HTH

Sylvander · #4 Post by **Sylvander** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 13:00

One of the Puppies I use is Lighthousepup-5.02-G.iso, and I've seen that offering a multi-user login [which I choose to NOT use].

Find "Multi-user login" HERE.

nooby · #5 Post by **nooby** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 13:16

Thanks, My dearest apology to PizzasGood for spelling his usernname the wrong way.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=47410

How to Build a Multiuser Puppy
Posted: Sun 04 Oct 2009

This guide is based off the work I did to produce Multiuser Puppy, and the discussions we had here and here. I am assuming the reader is comfortable with Puppy's internals and with utilities such as grep, sed, and diff.

so that is the most correct way there is up to now to get Multi User capability in Puppy. Read that thread.

sfeeley · #6 Post by **sfeeley** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 17:40

and to try to answer the question, why root?

I think its because most people using puppy either use a cd/usb drive plus save file, or they use a frugal install.

In both cases, most of the operating system is on vmlinuz, initrd.gz and pup_xxx.sfs. In normal practice, these aren't ever altered by the user. Instead so-called changes are notated in the separate save file. You can think of the save file as being superimposed on top of the operating system, making it act like there are changes, but really there are not.

I think of those old anatomy books made of layers of transparencies. Each page you turn removes a layer (skin, flesh, etc) and alters the appearance but nothing really changes.

Even if, by chance vmlinuz, initrd.gz and pup_xxx.sfs somehow get altered--and I don't know how I could easily do this even if i tried--you can readily replace it, fixing any problems.

Likewise, the pupsave file is pretty small and easy to back up (and most people keep their documents outside of it), so its not too bad if that gets altered.

As I said this is my understanding from a somewhat newbie perspective.

Sylvander · #7 Post by **Sylvander** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 18:07

Sounds spot-on to me.

Bruce B · #8 Post by **Bruce B** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 18:11

alexandrion wrote:is there a good reason why the main user is root?

One good reason would be to piss Ubuntu purists off. Although that isn't the
reason.

One thing I like about it is I don't have to continually give myself
permission to do things.

Turn computer on, permission granted, enjoy!

~

Bruce B · #9 Post by **Bruce B** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 18:23

sfeeley wrote: As I said this is my understanding from a somewhat newbie perspective.

I think you made excellent points. And your grasp is good also.

I think I can find a job for you working at Puppy's help desk. There is no
pay, it's all voluntary, take lunch when you want. Fall asleep at the
keyboard.

It's actually sort of fun. And one of the best ways to learn is to
teach. It is sort of self correcting. When you post something technically
inaccurate one of your peers will correct you, hopefully nicely.

For example, I don't know the answer to a question so I reply, "Put in on
the F: drive." Then someone else will pop up with the correct answer.

~

emil · #10 Post by **emil** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 18:42

classic link about to root or not to root
http://puppylinux.dreamhosters.com/Mult ... pport.html

If you want to add a user to your puppy system you can try the following (in console):

Code: Select all

whoami
 root

mkdir -p /home/user
adduser user
(set password)

su user
whoami
 user
exit

whoami
 root

There is also the possibility to autologin at startup (don't know where to change that out of my head)

But this is just very basic multiuser, because it is restricted to the console.
Real basic multiuser support would be a nice feature for puppy, but nobody picked up pizzasgood work so far.
best

emil

abushcrafter · #11 Post by **abushcrafter** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 20:26

Sylvander wrote:Sounds spot-on to me.

Rava · #12 Post by **Rava** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 21:09

I am tempted to create a Multiuser Pup with Quirky NOP 1.2.0 as base, and I would change the Firefox to the recent version...
But since my free time is not so much it depends on if there is any interest for that.

The good thing is that I would get help on here if I get into trouble.

So... would people be interested in a Quirky NOP Multiuser?

I think XFCe is just superior to any other desktop environments...

nooby · #13 Post by **nooby** » Sat 19 Feb 2011, 22:10

Rava then you have to be as good or better tnan Pizzasgood because he spent so much time on puppy421 that he has not changed it since 2007 on grafpup and that tells me it is very very time consuming to do. Or else he would ahve done it for Lupu 5.2 in a jiffy.

sfeeley · #14 Post by **sfeeley** » Sun 20 Feb 2011, 15:18

I'm not sure if I entirely see the need multi-user pups.

Wouldn't you essentially have the same by having different save files? Say one for my wife, and one me? Seems simpler.

Maybe I'm missing something.

Lexx43 · #15 Post by **Lexx43** » Sun 20 Feb 2011, 16:30

Bruce B wrote:
Turn computer on, permission granted, enjoy!

~

Until you are hit by a virus.

rcrsn51 · #16 Post by **rcrsn51** » Sun 20 Feb 2011, 16:38

Lexx43 wrote:Until you are hit by a virus.

Are you talking about Windows or Linux? Have you experienced a Linux virus? What did you lose?

nooby · #17 Post by **nooby** » Sun 20 Feb 2011, 17:17

I wish that every Puppyite that get hit by such do tell us on Security forum part of Murga so we all can learn from it.

Until you are hit by a virus.

Lexx43 · #18 Post by **Lexx43** » Mon 21 Feb 2011, 00:59

rcrsn51 wrote:
Lexx43 wrote:Until you are hit by a virus.
Are you talking about Windows or Linux? Have you experienced a Linux virus? What did you lose?

Not yet.
Virus is one reason that I dropped Windows. I used to work as Security Officer for an IBM mid-frame system, which is extremely security oriented - naturally I am biased against unsafe systems.

l0wt3ch · #19 Post by **l0wt3ch** » Mon 21 Feb 2011, 01:34

Bruce B wrote:Turn computer on, permission granted, enjoy!

~

Until you are hit by an asteroid.

8-bit · #20 Post by **8-bit** » Mon 21 Feb 2011, 01:36

Most of you do realize that most users of Windows run it as administrator?
And even then, on later versions you still have popups asking you for permission to perform simple actions.

So how is running Puppy as root any different?

I make a backup of my pupsave file and if I do indeed get a virus (never have), I just delete the current pupsave file and then use the backup of it.

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

why root?

why root?

Multi-User Puppy by Pizzasgood