[TriLUG] Debian Issues

[Alan Porter]

Igor Partola wrote:
> Lastly, you mentioned in your other email that you wanted install Debian to
> use it with your Raspberry Pi. May I suggest Ubuntu? Latest Ubuntu releases
> are typically very similar to Debian testing (Debian 6 codename Squeeze).
> The main difference you might see is that on Ubuntu the root user by
> default does not have a password. Instead, you use the sudo command to
> become root. Otherwise Ubuntu is very user friendly and has great hardware
> support.

I will agree with Igor that Ubuntu on a desktop might fit your needs of 
being (1) very, VERY close to Debian and (2) set up by default to work 
with a variety of hardware and with sane defaults.

But I also wanted to take this chance to plug a blog post.  Before a 
flame war gets started over _sudo vs su_... I wanted to point out that 
you can have both, and -- just like which desktop environment you choose 
-- this should not be a reason to throw one distro out in favor of another.

Alan




http://blog.alanporter.com/2012-04-30/sudo-vs-root-password


  'sudo' vs using a root password

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the use of "sudo" vs using a 
root password.  It's a lot simpler than many make it out to be.

  * On a system that uses a root password, all administrators use a
    shared root password.
  * On a system that uses "sudo", all administrators use their own
    passwords.
  * There is no reason why you can't do both.

Some people argue about a Linux distribution's *default*setting, when 
they could simply change the setting after installation and forget about it.

  * To enable a root password:
    |$ sudo passwd root|
  * To disable a root password:
    |$ sudo passwd -l root|
  * To start using sudo:
    |# apt-get install sudo
    # adduser username sudo|
  * To stop using sudo:
    |# gpasswd -d username sudo
    # apt-get remove --purge sudo|(optional)
  * To run a "su-like" shell using "sudo":
    |$ sudo -s|(runs a normal shell)
    or
    |$ sudo -i|(runs a login shell)

Personally, I have gotten used to disabling my root password and the 
using either|sudo -i|or|ssh root at hostname|.  That's one less password 
for me to remember, and one less password that can be probed on the network.

But you don't have to be like me... you do what feels right to you!



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