Hey everyone! I've been a Windows user all my life, but I recently installed WSL to dive into the Linux command line. One issue I keep facing is having to prepend `sudo` to almost every command I run. To simplify my experience, I set a password for the root account and started logging in as root to skip the `sudo` hassle. I've heard this isn't the safest practice, but how risky is it really if I pay attention to what I'm doing? I can understand Linux commands, and I only run applications I trust. So, is this as dangerous as people say it is?
5 Answers
Mistakes can happen quickly. A small misstep like a spacebar hit can lead to command disasters, like typing `rm -rf ./ *` instead of `rm -rf ./*`. The second command would wipe everything in a blink! Always double-check those commands. Also, on newer Linux systems, you may need to specify options like `--dont-preserve-root` to run nonsensical commands that could wipe things out.
That's a good point! But just how fast can one really do serious damage? I tend to hit CTRL+C reflexively when I realize something’s gone wrong!
While using root in a VM like WSL may be less risky, it can still pose dangers that might affect your hardware in a non-virtual environment. Direct access to folders like /sys and /dev can lead to serious issues if you're not careful. There have been cases where people accidentally deleted critical system files and ended up with bricked hardware, so be cautious!
It’s generally advised not to stay logged in as root for long. The risk is that if you accidentally run a harmful command as root, you could seriously damage your system since you have unrestricted access. Even seasoned users make mistakes—just one typo and you could bring a system down! It's a good habit to log out of root as soon as you've completed what you intended to do.
Honestly, you might find yourself regretting it later! It's okay to experiment in containers or VMs, but with WSL, you risk having to redo things if you mess up. You’ll likely get used to using `sudo`—trust me, it's worth it in the long run!
If you find yourself needing to run many commands as root, instead of logging in directly, try using `sudo -i`. This lets you stay in a root shell without the ongoing risks of being logged in as root. Just remember to stay cautious!
True! And I've heard that recent Linux updates make it harder to do reckless things without extra flags, so that's a bit comforting.