[LUNI] Ever heard of SimplyMEPIS Linux?

[sean-lynch at sean-lynch.com]

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:00:13 -0600
  Martin Maney <maney at two14.net> wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 11, 2007 at 02:13:33PM -0700, 
>sean-lynch at sean-lynch.com wrote:
>> I know how to do this when I have a root and a bunch of 
>> user accounts, its already set up that way. Can you 
>>point 
>> me to a tutorial or howto for systems like Ubuntu?
> 
> I believe I have come across a brief description of 
>this, perhaps on
> the Ubuntu wiki.  It's really pretty straightforward, 
>though, so it may
> have been just a sentence or two in passing.
> 
>> Is there an easy way, or is it just a matter of editing 
>> the sudoer's list and creating a user with the usual 
>> Ubuntu sudo authority (like an admin user) and then a 
>> desktop user with limited authority? Its just my 
> 
> Probably the least-effort way would be to create your 
>admin account
> when installing the system -it will get setup with the 
>sudo permissions
> to do anything.  Then just create whatever normal users 
>you wish (your
> choice of using the normal CLI tools or the GUI tools); 
>they will be
> created without any sudoer entries, which is just what 
>you wanted.  (at
> least that's how it worked when I did this on a 
>shared-access machine a
> while ago; it's possible the defaults have changed for 
>the GUI tool in
> the meantime, though I'd hope not)
> 
> Or if you prefer not to have the admin account not named 
>root, then you
> can do the install using the user's name, add a password 
>for root to
> allow direct login and [after dircet login is working!] 
>remove the user
> account from sudoers.  It's all just a normal Linux 
>system under the
> hood, of course: only their initial setup is different 
>than what you're
> used to.
> 
> Oh, and maybe there's a third way - someone said that 
>"expert" mode
> installs [may?] setup root for direct login, so maybe 
>that can also
> skip creating the user-with-admin-rights account as 
>well.  I've had
> very little use for expert mode, so I'm not sure.
> 
>> I know how to set things for most distros this way, 
>> because most distros have root and the regular users are 
>> already set up with limited authority. How do I do it 
>>for 
>> Ubuntu? Don't just cry B.S., I think its a legitimate 
>> question.
> 
> Oh, it is.  You confused me by stating it as a fact, not 
>a question. 
> Perhaps you were practicing Aahz's method?  ;-)
> 
> -- 
> The most effective way to get information from usenet is 
>not to ask
> a question; it is to post incorrect information.  -- 
>Aahz's Law
> 
> -- 
> Linux Users Of Northern Illinois - Technical Discussion 
> http://luni.org/mailman/listinfo/luni

Thanks Martin. My ignorance kept me from trying Ubuntu in 
some business situations, but the lack of root could be a 
good thing for thwarting hackers.