0

I'm very new to Linux, have used Ubuntu, Mint, Elementary and KDE Neon for 2 or 3 days altogether on VirtualBox to select 1 for installation on the laptop I use daily. I've chosen KDE Neon 5.16 and have been using it for last 3 days. First problem I faced in this distro that when I tried to paste a file that I downloaded from a website from the Downloads folder to a partition/device, namely /dev/sda3, it didn't let me do that via GUI initially!

I then tried to log in as the root, following along the example given here, to have all privileges BUT I couldn't actually login as root through the login screen, to operate the system! It just gives an alias named sudo after logging in as an ordinary user to execute some ownership and permission cmdlets!

From such behavior of this distro what I've understood that these Linux distros actually have built a bridge between root and user through some messaging protocol and developers of these distros obviously have full control over my laptop via network socket, am I right? If I'm right, how are these distros different from Windows or Mac in terms of security? Is there any workaround in KDE Neon to log in as root when it prompts to log in?

1 Answers1

1

From such behavior of this distro what I've understood that these Linux distros actually have built a bridge between root and user through some messeging protocol

No. Sudo is a program that can, given appropriate configuration, allow users to run programs as root. There's no messaging protocol involved, really.

This is basically best practice. Run with least privileges needed, and elevate when you have to. Ubuntu does not have a root user enabled by default.

and developers of these distros obviously have full control over my laptop via network socket, am I right?

No, you are not correct. There's no networking involved in sudo, and no remote capability. The developers does not have any control over your laptop. man sudo in a terminal will give you more information about sudo.

There's no reason to enable the root account. If you need a root shell, run sudo -i.

If I'm right, how are these distros different from Windows or Mac in terms of security? Is there any workaround in KDE Neon to log in as root when it prompts to log in?

Linux and OS X is fundamentally different from Windows. Linux and OS X is rather different as well, but both owe a lot to Unix, so they have some similarities.

Anyway, Ubuntu, OS X and Microsoft Windows all have excellent security when patched and configured correctly.

vidarlo
  • 23,497