Red Hat Linux Fedora For Dummies [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Logging In

When you use Red Hat Linux, you must log in as a particular user with a distinct login name. Why? Because Red Hat Linux is a multiuser system and therefore uses different accounts to keep people from looking at other people’s secret files, erasing necessary files from the system, and otherwise (intentionally or unintentionally) doing bad things.

The use of unique identities helps to keep the actions of one person from affecting the actions of another because many people may be using the same computer system at the same time (for example, over a network). A benefit of this strategy is that Red Hat Linux systems are essentially invulnerable to viruses simply because each user’s files and directories can’t be used to corrupt the system as a whole. (Not that we’re keeping score or anything, but viruses can destroy or just make life miserable for Windows 9x systems because they don’t have this capability.)

As Red Hat Linux boots, you see all sorts of messages scrolling by on the screen. After the scrolling stops, the login screen appears.

RememberIf you chose (during installation) not to have X start automatically whenever you boot your system, you see the login: prompt.

If you make a mistake while typing the password or your login, the system asks you to retype it.

WarningWe strongly recommend that you do most of your experimentation with Red Hat Linux as a nonprivileged user and log in as the root user only when necessary. By operating as root, you run the risk of corrupting your system, having to reinstall again, or losing data because you can delete or change anything and everything. When you are logged in as a regular user, you can accidentally erase your own files and data, but you can’t erase someone else’s files or system files.

Fortunately, Red Hat Linux provides many graphical administration utilities you can start as a nonprivileged user. Each Red Hat administrative utility prompts you to enter the root password as it starts and then performs its specific function, but only that function, with root privileges. You’re prevented, therefore, from doing unintended damage to other systems. (See Appendix C for information about how file permissions work and how you can modify them.)

Logging In

When you use Red Hat Linux, you must log in as a particular user with a distinct login name. Why? Because Red Hat Linux is a multiuser system and therefore uses different accounts to keep people from looking at other people’s secret files, erasing necessary files from the system, and otherwise (intentionally or unintentionally) doing bad things.

The use of unique identities helps to keep the actions of one person from affecting the actions of another because many people may be using the same computer system at the same time (for example, over a network). A benefit of this strategy is that Red Hat Linux systems are essentially invulnerable to viruses simply because each user’s files and directories can’t be used to corrupt the system as a whole. (Not that we’re keeping score or anything, but viruses can destroy or just make life miserable for Windows 9x systems because they don’t have this capability.)

As Red Hat Linux boots, you see all sorts of messages scrolling by on the screen. After the scrolling stops, the login screen appears.

RememberIf you chose (during installation) not to have X start automatically whenever you boot your system, you see the login: prompt.

If you make a mistake while typing the password or your login, the system asks you to retype it.

WarningWe strongly recommend that you do most of your experimentation with Red Hat Linux as a nonprivileged user and log in as the root user only when necessary. By operating as root, you run the risk of corrupting your system, having to reinstall again, or losing data because you can delete or change anything and everything. When you are logged in as a regular user, you can accidentally erase your own files and data, but you can’t erase someone else’s files or system files.

Fortunately, Red Hat Linux provides many graphical administration utilities you can start as a nonprivileged user. Each Red Hat administrative utility prompts you to enter the root password as it starts and then performs its specific function, but only that function, with root privileges. You’re prevented, therefore, from doing unintended damage to other systems. (See Appendix C for information about how file permissions work and how you can modify them.)