On GameSpot: So-called 'Halo killer' gets 23 to life
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 28 of 76:
Next »
« Previous
Administrator vs. root
Mac OS X has three basic user levels. There's the root--we all
know what that is. Then there are ordinary users, who can't
access the system at all and can only install software for their
own use, and nothing that patches the kernel. Then there are
administrative users. Administrative users are pretty much like
ordinary users except that they can perform certain root
functions, but they have to authenticate for each one. This is the
GUI equivalent of typing sudo in the shell environment.
Administrative users can create other user and administrative
user accounts, and even create new groups with privileges <=
their own, so their are really a lot of different account types that
are possible, but these are the three basic ones.

When you first start up a new Mac, you are given administrative
privileges. Most users generally stay at this level, because they
need to be able to install software, including kexts, and turn the
Web server on and off and general adminnish stuff like that.
While there's some risk connected with this, it's relatively safe
because you would get a warning, and be required to enter a
password, for anything to modify the system. It's important to
note here that these warnings are more specific than the vague
warnings Windows gives you if you try to open anything you've
received as an e-mail attachment or download, but then it gives
you no warning at all if you run the same file after saving it to
your local drive, which is just insane. Mac's privileges are all
based on Unix, which is a thoroughly tested, mature system,
with which I'm sure you're quite familiar as a Linux guy.

Anyway, I just wanted to make that distinction between
administrative users in the Mac/Unix sense and administrative
users in the Windows sense, which are essentially equivalent to
root.
Posted by: Immanuel Tranz-Mischen   Posted on: 04/10/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

So long as  MkIIISupra | 04/09/04
you assume  JoeMama_z | 04/09/04
No I read the story...  MkIIISupra | 04/09/04
Recent April 5th security update fixed this.  paul351 | 04/09/04
I disagree  richhayes | 04/10/04
unless ..  g_ludlow | 04/10/04
Yes and no.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
Yes and no  richhayes | 04/10/04
But they have to know the password.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
you must have misunderstood me....  JoeMama_z | 04/10/04
Just goes to show you why...  voska | 04/12/04
True, but...  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/09/04
But..  d_jedi | 04/09/04
Re: But..  Franklin_z | 04/09/04
OK, then..  d_jedi | 04/09/04
You're missing the whole point.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
More importantly....  JoeMama_z | 04/10/04
User are what they are.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
Easy to avoid  jjenkins | 04/09/04
...or better yet  David Wandelt | 04/09/04
I download legal mp3's all the time  tic swayback | 04/09/04
FUD!  d_jedi | 04/09/04
It is illegal if...  voska | 04/12/04
Are you sure?  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/09/04
you're kidding, right?  gudin | 04/12/04
Everybody's such a genius...  Christopher McLendon | 04/09/04
That's easy!  MkIIISupra | 04/09/04
Administrator vs. root  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
Is that even possible?  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
Sales attempt by anti-virus company  tic swayback | 04/09/04
Re: Sales attempt by anti-virus company  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/09/04
Best extra info I've found on the trojan  Squawkbox | 04/09/04
Wrong Info  ITGuy04 | 04/12/04
Shame on "shame on you"  escoles@... | 04/10/04
You're not being very discerning.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
Unix  richhayes | 04/10/04
really missing the point  TWRX | 04/10/04
Missing the point.  richhayes | 04/12/04
The Point is:  TWRX | 04/12/04
Please notice  richhayes | 04/12/04
richhayes  mabricen | 04/12/04
Do Know  richhayes | 04/13/04
Unix is no less user friendly than DOS.  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
Make up your mind  richhayes | 04/12/04
Please make up your mind  NemesisNL | 04/12/04
I agree, to a point  richhayes | 04/12/04
Right on !!!  mabricen | 04/12/04
You succeeded in precisely missing my point.  escoles@... | 04/10/04
How does one miss something precisely?  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 04/10/04
You seem to do a pretty good job  escoles@... | 04/12/04
"unable to tell..."  tooner440 | 04/12/04
No security solution, and education is insufficient  escoles@... | 04/12/04
good point  tooner440 | 04/12/04
It's clear that you know nothing of OSX  j.m.galvin | 04/12/04
Not bad.. 60,000 to 1 ratio  Xunil_Sierutuf | 04/10/04
I'm reserving judgement...  tooner440 | 04/12/04
It's the software design  Rick_K | 04/12/04
New Story Title  TWRX | 04/10/04
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz...next  jimk_z | 04/10/04
The Operant Word Here is "May"  Yen_z | 04/11/04
Ouchhh, so right  mabricen | 04/12/04
It's not a virus  Romanval | 04/11/04
Too smart for your own good  jmquinn72 | 04/12/04
Get over yourself  MarcB_z | 04/12/04
Reality Distortion Fields  escoles@... | 04/12/04
jmquinn72  mabricen | 04/12/04
For the record,  mlindl | 04/12/04
mlindl  mabricen | 04/12/04
I buy Macs because they ar superior to Windows PCs  MacGeek2121 | 04/13/04
Intego & Probability  joemckernan | 04/12/04
If OS X is vulnerable with it's BSD OS then......  jfalknor | 04/12/04
Not entirely correct reasoning  dscherf | 04/12/04
Not even close  j.m.galvin | 04/12/04
Too many Windows = glass houses  fuchikoma | 04/12/04
This is not news!  MacGeek2121 | 04/13/04
Exploitation is bad, supporter grief against  FilledOut | 04/15/04

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

advertisement
advertisement

Meet Doc