Running as root?

[barlad]

I heard a lot of times that always running his pc as root is a stupid thing. Hell, even x-chat pops up a panel with a "Running IRC as root is stupid!" everytime I launch it.

So here is my question... is running his PC as root really a stupid thing? What are the problems involved?

I know that I don't have the security of doing "whatever I want" when I am root because I can access and set-up everything but is there any security flaw involved in me running/configuring everything as root, including IRC?

One day or the other I will have to learn how to mess with rights, groups and users but I would like to know before what is really at stake in all of this.

Anyway is there any FAQ that covers the management of users, groups and whatever else might be related to it?

[Esben]

Generally, running as root means that every security flaw gets upgraded from a local problem to a systemwide problem. E.g:

a virus/trojan can infect a programs in /sbin, /bin and /usr/bin, e.g. bash and init
a hacker would gain acces to the entire system instead of whatever user is currently running.
a mistype could prove fatal. E.g: rm .*

As such, it is not a security flaw in itself, but it does peel of one layer of sucurity, leaving each program you run to fend for itself. As setting up a user is really no hassle at all, I don't see why you would run the risk. But it is, of course, entirely up to you
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regards, Esben
True trade is honest, but not merciful. Politics is dishonest, no matter how merciful... and war is neither honest nor merciful.... therefore, choose trade above politics, but politics above war.

[pjp]

Always logged in as root, why not?
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