Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 22:03:18 +0100 From: Cliff Sarginson <cliff@raggedclown.net> To: FreeBSD-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Can I rename root? Message-ID: <20020101210318.GC3117@raggedclown.net> In-Reply-To: <9rsn9raxxq.n9r@localhost.localdomain> References: <20011229154552.B855@localhost> <20011230103317.A474@localhost> <ggbsggcp2o.sgg@localhost.localdomain> <20011230232850.GA5802@raggedclown.net> <9rsn9raxxq.n9r@localhost.localdomain>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Mon, Dec 31, 2001 at 01:20:49PM -0800, Gary W. Swearingen wrote: > Cliff Sarginson <cliff@raggedclown.net> writes: > > > It mean un-needed user accounts, for people who have left etc. > > Not system accounts (which don't have login shells anyway). > > Of course I considered that that might be what he meant, but I don't > read minds, and I try to draw inferences from what I read, to draw out > concepts rather than following steps blindly. And I think it makes > sense to remove all unneeded accounts. I was just optimistic enough to > hope that the system build scripts wouldn't need a UUCP account and > didn't see the requirement documented. Same for the "xten" account. > > I was happy to find that "adduser" works for non-user accounts too. ;-) > > > The name may be a system account, which is not a login account. > > The term "system account" seems too nebulous to be useful without nearby > qualification. I've considered "root" and "toor" to be system accounts > even though they are login accounts. And I've considered "xten", "pop", > "bind", and "uucp" to not be system accounts, but as "application > accounts", because they are not (AFAIK) related to required system > software, but to applications. I suppose some people think > "distributed" instead of "required" or consider "xten", "pop", etc. as > part of the system rather than applications. To cut a swathe through all this... Let us define "system" accounts as those which come with the system as-is, or subsequently need to be added for the functionality you may need as you add things to your system. Semantical discussions are not very helpful; many of these names are historical or adopted (hi-jacked if you like) as time passes. Now I would look at this the other way around, at least initially. You are installing a system with in a way a history as long as that of Unix itself. From this FreeBSD has created the installation systems, it would be better to assume that the system files and the contents thereof are there for a reason, even if you don't know what it is, and even if the origin of it's name is obcured by time. If it worries you I think you can ask on this list, and I have no doubt someone will tell you why. -- Regards Cliff To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?20020101210318.GC3117>