4.1 User Accounts
Like other multiuser operating systems,
such as Windows NT/2000/XP, Linux uses user accounts to identify
users and allocate permissions. Every Linux system has a special user
known as the root user. The root
user is analogous to the Windows user known as Administrator. The
root user can perform privileged
operations that are forbidden to other users. For instance, only the
root user can perform most system administration operations. By
default, the username associated with the root
user is root.
You
should be judicious in your use of the root account. For instance,
you should safeguard the associated password so that no one uses it
to compromise your system. Also, you should log in as the root user
only when performing privileged operations; that is, special
administrative operations that can be performed only by the root
user. Following this advice will help you avoid disasters such as
accidentally deleting important files that are protected against
access by ordinary, non-root users.
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