Um...it was a retorical question actually. There are some very good and at
time, obvious reasons why certain things can't be done as the 'root'
user. They are for security reasons and for the saftey of the system. The
folks that have the most trouble learning this are those that expect Linux
to behave like windows. Thus, you find some new linux users very
frustrated when they're getting started.
Where to find the information is for the most part on your hard drive in
the form of HOWTO's and program documentation. Which, by the way, you will
find in /usr/doc, AND all over the web at sites like linux.com
www.mandrake.com just to name a few. It's hard though to see the forest
for the trees when one is very frustrated when they're on what seems to be
a fruitless search for something that "appears" to be beyond their reach.
I know I'm not the only one that has done this, therefore I say this as
such...the VERY first thing I did when I started with Linux was
"read!" When I was done reading I read some more until I had at least an
inkling of what I was getting into. I came at Linux with the undertanding
this OS was NOT windows nor did I expect it to act like windows. When one
understands this very basic, but very important reality, suddenly Linux
takes on a whole new aura. The once hidden things about Linux suddenly
begin to reveal themselves.
--
Mark
/ * Sometimes it becomes necessary to rock the boat
* in order to get the rats up from below decks
* so they can be kicked over the side and drowned!
*
* REGISTERED LINUX USER # 182496
*/
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<*REPLY SEPERATOR*>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
On 22 Nov 2000 [EMAIL PROTECTED] had this to say!
>
> Well, why dont you tell them how to access this information. That is why this is the
>newbie linux help. I won't tell them because you are the one that brought up the
>issue. IF you want them to educate themselves you must first help them by at least
>educating them to find this information. Yes, one is manual, but if you are an expert
>you will tell them other ways of finding this information. Such as trying to lock the
>screen as root... You can see which process isnt running *the name of it* and in the
>terminal type the name of the process or program that isnt working that go and look
>for information on that problem. Such as xserver says if you look in the help area
>that you cant lock the screen as root but goes about telling you how to manually set
>this, so you can lock the screen as root.
>
> > ** Original Subject: RE: [newbie] Problem with Telnet
> > ** Original Sender: Mark Weaver <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > ** Original Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2000 23:29:50 -0600
>
> > ** Original Message follows...
>
> >
> > You guys don't do a lot of reading do you? There is a TON of HOWTO's and
> > documentation spread all over your HDD's that Linux has placed there for
> > the sole purpose of educating folks in the proper usage and operation of
> > the Linux operating system and it's related application such as telnet and
> > other's that are considered system critical apps. I would strongly
> > recommend that you begin to seriously devour this documentation so that
> > you don't find yourself in a position where you unknowingly compromise the
> > security of your systems to the point that you can no longer control who
> > get's in and what little "gifts" they leave behind. You may be awakened
> > some morning by men wearing cheap suits and badly made dark glasses
> > wanting total access to your hard drive(s). It isn't hard to turn some
> > poor unsuspecting users system into a relay station for all kinds of crap
> > data without the users knowledge if they've left the security doors
> > hanging WIDE open.
> >
> > --
> > Mark
> >
> > / * Sometimes it becomes necessary to rock the boat
> > * in order to get the rats up from below decks
> > * so they can be kicked over the side and drowned!
> > *
> > * REGISTERED LINUX USER # 182496
> > */
> >
> > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<*REPLY SEPERATOR*>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > On Tue, 21 Nov 2000 Sen Peng had this to say!
> >
> > > Hi, I am having a problem with telnet into my linux box too. I can telnet
> > > into remote sites, but cannot do it other way around. It always tells me
> > > that "connection closed by foreign host".
> > >
> > > In my /etc/inetd.conf I had it setup like following.
> > > telnet stream tcp nowait root /usr/sbin/tcpd in.telnetd -l -a
> > >
> > > Can some one give me idea? what does "-l" and "-a" mean ?
> > >
> > > oh... i setup security as medium when I first install the system.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > Charels
> > >
> > > On 20 Nov 2000 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> > >
> > > > YOU CAN never ever telnet in as root... it is a security measure that the
>linux developers took. and yes the switch user is the right way to get to root.....
>You must know a user first to get to root or be able to SU... Just another step in
>the security area
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > ** Original Subject: RE: [newbie] Problem with Telnet
> > > > > ** Original Sender: Fabio Tang <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > > > ** Original Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 10:37:19 -0600
> > > >
> > > > > ** Original Message follows...
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Hello ALL
> > > > >
> > > > > Here I am having a little problem trying to access the linux with
> > > > > telnet. Its strangeous when root can' t access but any other commom user
> > > > > can normally. And if I access like a normal user and after this switch
> > > > > to root with su command, I get root access normally. Why I can't access
> > > > > as root in telnet directly ? What may be wrong or misconfigurated ?
> > > > > Thanks for any help.
> > > > >
> > > > > Fabio
> > > > > from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >** --------- End Original Message ----------- **
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > animalTK
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
> >** --------- End Original Message ----------- **
>
> >
>
> animalTK
>
>
>
