Re: [tlug] on root logins (1)

[Michael Reinsch <mr@example.com>]

Hello!

On 29.12.2005, 05:24 +0900 Uva Coder wrote:

> > How does Plan 9 keep those admin group users from accidentally wiping out
> > the system?
>
> Snapshots of the filesystem are routinely made to a block store called
> venti. To correct mistakes use the yesterday command to restore a file
> or a filesystem from venti.

OK, here you assume that the only mistake that can happen is a mistake
that affects the file system, like Micheal Cooper asked. 

But actually my statement was a bit broader. There are more mistakes you
can make which can compromise the security of the system or the user's
privacy than simply wipe the system. One advantage of those "wiping the
system" type of mistakes is also that they are obvious... not all
mistakes are this obvious.

So I'm still not convinced that giving an administrator more rights in a
general way as you described (adding his user to the sys group *1) is a
good idea. In my opinion, an administrator should be required to
deliberately switch to a status with more rights (*2) for a certain
task, instead of having those rights all the time.


*1) BTW: You can also do that in linux: add some user to the root or adm
or whatever group and then this user has more rights.

*2) Ideally only requesting the minimum set of permissions required for
some task.

-- 
  Michael Reinsch <mr@example.com>                      http://mr.uue.org/
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