root privileges security question

From: Guy Dallaire <dallaire_at_total.net>
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 12:12:00 -0400

Hello,

We would like to stop logging in as root everytime we have to check
something on the system. We fear that one day, we will make THE mistake and
destroy something important by error.

What is the easiest way to create an 'admin' account that we could use in
such a way that if we have to do something to the system, we'll just 'su',
do it, then exit ?

What we've done right now is create an admin user, belonging to group
'users' and to group 'system'. The problem with it is that I fear this
admin user can still destroy important things in the system.

For example, I created a file with user 'root' somewhere, and I then used
the 'admin' account to try to delete that file, ex.:

rm foo.bat
rm: Override protection 644 for foo.bar?

If I type 'y', I get an:
rm: cann: Permission denied

I've created foo.bar with root in /etc

Other than using 'sudo', is there an easy way to have an 'ordinary' user
being able to su root but in a way that does not generate the 'override
...' message and oly gives a 'permission denied message' ?

Thanks

Guy Dallaire
dallaire_at_total.net

"God only knows if god exists"
Received on Wed Apr 23 1997 - 18:22:12 NZST

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