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Please someone help me!
i'm using Mandrake 9 on:
Abit BP6 (yes BP6!) w/ 2 celerons 466Mhz @ 581Mhz
512 pc100 Ram
2 WD 60GB on ide 1
1 "el cheapo" CD-R on IDE 2
Viper 770
1 Nic NetGear 10/100 (PCI) as eth 1
1 Nic SMC 10 (PCI)as eth 0
This PC has the Connection to the Internet.
my questions:
1. I need to know if there is a way to grant "root privileges" to my user account. (i understand that its not recomended to use the PC as root always) because i hate closing everything i'm doing and log-out and log in as root so i can install something...
2. When i try to setup internet sharing my connection to the net drops...i'm trying to connect 3 Win-boxes and 1 laptop that i have in my house.
3. This system will be a Web-server / firewall. but i cant find the Docroot for apache.
4. Does Mandrake brings anything like a SMTP/POP server program? if so whats the name?
digitalgoodtime
10-03-2002, 08:16 PM
I can not answer all your questions, however typeing su - will make you root. As far as you ICS question if the Host is a windows PC your TCP/IP stuff might be screwed up. Try removeing it all and starting over. I ran into this problem getting Direcway to use ICS. My reg had duplicate entrys. Removeing TCP/ip and reinstalling fixed the problem.
typing "su -" ?
were? command prompt?
vttimwhite
10-03-2002, 08:43 PM
Yes. Either at the command prompt or within a terminal window. When you are done, remember to type "exit". You will revert back to your regular non-root account.
so, there is no way to give a regular account "root" privilleges?
because w/ that su - it only works on the command prompt. i still can move folders w/ the Gui....
sharth
10-03-2002, 09:01 PM
you can. it would be easier to simply log out and relog in as root though.
you can either make a new user with super user privlages or you can change your uid so that you will be considered a super user.
its still not recommended :)
sendmail is the epitome of smtp servers.
check your httpd.conf file for the DocumentRoot line. thats where your server root is.
you might want to look into imap as well. look at differences, see which you like.
what utility can i use to change the settings of my username?
cowanrl
10-03-2002, 09:50 PM
From what I've read, one way to give your user account root priveldges is to change your uid to 0. Probably the only way you would be able to do this would be to manually edit /etc/passwd.
If you look in that file, you should see an entry for your username that looks something like this:
cowanrl:x:500:500: Cowan RL:/home/cowanrl:/bin/bash
Just change the first 500 to a 0. Then you will be rcognized as root.
I've never tried this but they say it works.
One of the reasons viruses are so ineffective on Linux machines is that normal users only have limited priveledges. If you are logged in as a normal user and you did open an e-mail attachement that would run on Linux and delete files on the hard drive, the only thing that would probably be deleted is what is in your home directory. You don't have write access to much else.
If you were logged in as root or had root priveleges, it could wipe out your entire hard drive.
I very rarely log in as root. I don't recommend it. I've learned to work around it.
Luckily in Red Hat 7.3, if a normal user starts one of the GUI config programs, it prompts for the root password. You don't have to be logged in as root. When you exit the GUI config program, you are no longer root.
Another way to accomplish that if your distribution doesn prompt for the root password is to open a terminal window and su - to root. Then execute the command to run the GUI config program from the command line. It will launch it as root.
I also do this if I want to edit a configuration file. I open a terminal window, su - to root then enter gedit to launch the text editor. I can then edit the text file with a GUI text editor. When I close gedit, I'm no longer root.
You need to learn the command to launch some of the GUI config programs but you can usually find them by exploring the menus. In Red Hat, I just select to edit my Control Panel menu. I then look at the menu commands to launch things like Service Config, Network Config, Printer Config. I write them down and use them when needed.
You get used to it after a while. Doing normal computer work logged in as root makes me nervous. Even on my home network.
sharth
10-03-2002, 09:58 PM
not running linux right now....
i think that it is usermod
and its always a good idea to learn a cli editor.
where can i find the command to start the KDE filemanager?
(so i can start it from command line w/ root privilliges?
razor_01
10-05-2002, 11:45 AM
To run konqueror file manager with root privileges press "Alt" and "F2" at the same time to start the run command.
In the run command type
kdesu "konquoeror"
and then press the return key (enter key)
It will ask you to enter you root password and then press the return key.
You now have root privileges in the file manager konqueror.
razor
as for the mail server,
mandrake usualy installs postfix by default and also starts it by default, you can configure postfix in /etc/postfix/main.cf
a pop3 service is also available but you will have to edit the /etc/xinetd/ipop3 file and change disabled = yes
to disabled = no,
then type
/etc/init.d/xinetd restart
to restart the inetd deamon
good luck with it
How do i add email accounts to this server?
is it automatically when i make a username in the system?
just make common system users or read up on using the virtual.cf
(not entirely sure of how virtual user are done, with postfix)
greetz, pvc
bastard23
10-20-2002, 06:07 PM
Toky,
The GUI config programs may ask for a root password. Most programs won't ask for a root password so you should get familliar with the su and sudo programs. sudo is more advanced su with many more options, check it out, but I describe su as it is easier. Try 'su' w/o any options (This will leave your ENV variables, exept for PATH.) Then do an "echo $DISPLAY" as root. If it reads ":0.0", then xwindow (KDE, GNOME, whatever) programs know where to display. You can also do this manually by running "export DISPLAY=:0.0" (assuming a bourne shell) as root. Try running the GUI program now. If you get an error about permissions or connection refused, then you will have to configure the Xserver to allow connections from other users (or hosts). Check the Mandrake docs and google. A quick way whould be to run "xhost +localhost" before you su. (Now any user on your computer can open a program on your display.) You could add this command to your ~/.xsession file. FYI, you can set the DISPLAY variable from the console as well.
For more info do:
man xhost
man xsession
man su
man sudo
(And checking the mandrake docs, www.google.com/linux , or even better www.tldp.org)
cowanrl and sharth,
I wouldn't even advise changing the UID for the user. You may as well just run as root. (unless your doing it to have mutiple passwords for root, but then you know what your doing.) I still add toor every once and a while.
Hope that helps and have fun,
chris
sharth
10-20-2002, 09:33 PM
I know. i su and copy the .Xauthority personally.
but still, personal choice.