Ed writes:
> I like the way OS X works. My account is an admin account, but
anytime
> I want to do anything as an admin, such as install an app in a common
> system location, I get prompted to enter my password. <snip>
Yea, and they've made this pretty difficult to deal with in WinXP, so I see
the point. For example, if you try to run things under XP as a non-admin
account, you're stuck without knowing how to do a runas command or setting
the icons to do runas for you. As a .Net developer, I have had no end of
headaches trying to figure out how to get my .NET app to install on a WinXP
machine as admin, but then to allow non-admin users to run the app without
security errors. Is this protection or bad implementation? I'm not sure.
On the other side of this coin, this has been one of my stumbling blocks to
learning Linux stuff... I'm used to being an admin on my machine(s) since
I'm well aware of the risks that are involved. When I first ran Knoppix and
needed to do some goofing around, I had no idea what the root password was
or how to go about setting up a different account to give myself the access
I needed. Once I did figure it out, I think I still had problems getting in
to doing some of the tasks I wanted.... but I also wasn't just trying to
surf the web or write an email, I was attempting to determine issues with
samba shares and so on.
I guess I want an OS that will let me shoot myself in the foot if I want, so
that I can learn things. After learning a bit more about Knoppix and
installing it on my HD, I just ran everything as root so I could do just
that. So what if I killed the box - I'd just reinstall ! <g> Not everyone
has that luxury I know.
Anyway, point taken. Certainly the linux way of doing things is more secure
but requires more "dirty hands" to get more advanced things done.
-Chuck
©2004 Chuck Urwiler |
