<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <title>User Management</title> <meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.73.2"> <link rel="start" href="index.html" title="Mandriva Linux Installation Guide"> <link rel="up" href="index.html" title="Mandriva Linux Installation Guide"> <link rel="prev" href="choosePackages.html" title="Package Selection"> <link rel="next" href="setupBootloaderBeginner.html" title="Installing a Bootloader"><style xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/transitional" type="text/css"> <!-- body { font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px } table { font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px } --></style></head> <body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"> <div class="section" lang="en"> <div class="titlepage"> <div> <div> <h2 class="title"><a name="addUser"></a>User Management </h2> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section" lang="en"> <div class="titlepage"> <div> <div> <h3 class="title"><a name="d5e1098"></a>Administrator (root) Password </h3> </div> </div> </div> <p> <b>The Root Password is Key to Your System Security. </b> The <code class="literal">root</code> user is the system administrator and is the only user authorized to make updates, add users, change the overall system configuration, and so on. In short, <code class="literal">root</code> can do everything! That's why you must choose a password which is difficult to guess: <span class="application">DrakX</span> tells you if the password you chose is too simple. Depending on the security level you chose, you're not forced to enter a password, but we <span class="emphasis"><em>strongly</em></span> encourage you to do so. <span class="application">Linux</span> is just as prone to operator error as any other operating system. Since <code class="literal">root</code> can overcome all limitations and unintentionally erase all data on partitions by carelessly accessing the partitions themselves, becoming <code class="literal">root</code> <span class="emphasis"><em>must</em></span> be difficult. </p> <p> <b>Choose the Right Password. </b> The password should be a mixture of alphanumeric characters and its minimum length will vary according to the chosen security level. Never write down <code class="literal">root</code>'s password — it makes it far too easy to compromise your system. However, don't make the password too long or too complicated because you must be able to remember it too! </p> <div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"> <table border="0" summary="Tip: Check your password is secure enough"> <tr> <td rowspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width="25"><img alt="[Tip]" src="images/tip.png"></td> <th align="left">Check your password is secure enough</th> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <p>User management application can help you to check your password is strong enough. In password field, you will see an icon coming as you are entering your password. The <span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/password_weak.png"></span> icon means your password is much too weak and could be broken in a few seconds. The <span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/password_average.png"></span> icon means your password is rather secure but you could have a much better one. Finally the <span class="inlinemediaobject"><img src="images/password_strong.png"></span> icon means your password is really secure, you should not have any problem using it. </p> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <p> <b>Enter the Password, Twice. </b> The password won't be displayed on screen as you type it. To reduce the chance of a blind typing error you have to enter the password twice. </p> </div> <div class="section" lang="en"> <div class="titlepage"> <div> <div> <h3 class="title"><a name="d5e1140"></a>Enter a User </h3> </div> </div> </div> <p> <b>Create a User. </b> You are first asked for a real name. <span class="application">DrakX</span> uses the first word you type in this field and copies it, all in lowercase, to the <span class="guilabel">Login name </span> field, which is the name this user must enter to log on to the system. Then enter a password, twice (for confirmation). From a security point of view, a non-privileged (regular) user's password isn't as crucial as the <code class="literal">root</code> password, but that's no reason to neglect it by making it too simple: after all, <span class="emphasis"><em>your </em></span> files could be the ones at risk. </p> <p> <b>Linux is a Secure Multi-User System. </b> You can add other users. Refer to <a class="xref" href="misc-params.html" title="Checking Miscellaneous Parameters">the section called “Checking Miscellaneous Parameters”</a>. Each user may have his own preferences, files and so on. But unlike the system administrator called <code class="literal">root</code>, the user you create at this point is not authorized to change anything except its own files and configurations, protecting the system from unintentional or malicious changes which could have a serious impact. </p> <div class="tip" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"> <table border="0" summary="Tip: More options for users accounts"> <tr> <td rowspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width="25"><img alt="[Tip]" src="images/tip.png"></td> <th align="left">More options for users accounts</th> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <p><a name="BId-addUser-pa4"></a>Clicking on <span class="guilabel">Advanced</span> allows you to change the default shell for that user (<span class="application">bash</span> by default), and to manually choose the user and group <acronym class="acronym">ID</acronym>s for that user. </p> <p>By default, new installation of Mandriva Linux comes with a guest account (Refer to <a class="xref" href="">???</a>. You can disable it by unchecking <span class="guilabel">Guest account enabled</span>. </p> </td> </tr> </table> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>