Linux is a different world for someone coming from Windows, especially Windows XP and before. In Windows everything was easy; the default account has administrator access, so you are the boss the minute you log in. But this “freedom” comes with its own set of security implications which are well known because of the small, cleaver but unfriendly programs called viruses in Windows world.
Linux, on the other hand is quiet nosy when it comes to permissions. As a normal user you have access to only your files and very limited access to system wide settings. To do any “Administrative” changes to your system in Linux, you need to be the admin user or also called as super user in Linux called root.
Traditionally, people have been using the su command to gain access to root privileges. However, doing so defies the whole purpose of security because for that you need the root password, and hence it’s as good (or bad) as logging in as root.
Fortunately, modern Linux systems provide a way around this and let you be the root user the “good” way. The sudo command comes to rescue in such situations. You can use sudo to temporarily become root user and run a program. The sudo command is used like this:
#sudo <program_name>
In doing so, you will be asked for your own password and after that the program will run with root privileges. This is a much cleaner, simpler way to use your system without compromising on security or usability.
The only requirement for you to use the sudo command is addition of your user name to /etc/sudoers file. This is a onetime activity and an Administrator can do it for you. Once you are done with that, welcome to a much more user friendly, safer and faster computing experience with Linux!
Go Free!
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