[mythtv-users] Running as root

Michael T. Dean mtdean at thirdcontact.com
Fri Sep 29 15:57:38 UTC 2006


On 09/29/06 02:54, chris at cpr.homelinux.net wrote:

>On Thu, Sep 28, 2006 at 03:12:20PM -0400, Michael Lynch wrote:
>  
>
>>I've got auto-login as root working on Slackware 10.2 with fluxbox.  I
>>forget where I found the info, but here it is:
>>
>>=====Relevant sections of /etc/initab:=====
>># Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
>>id:4:initdefault:
>>x1:4:wait:/etc/rc.d/rc.xinit
>>    
>>
>Technically speaking, you're not actually doing an "auto-login as 
>root".  What you're doing is bypassing the entire concept of logins 
>and simply taking advantage of the fact that the init process 
>already runs as root and therefore all child processes inherit root 
>capabilities.  Normally the child process you interact with would 
>be a login manager (like getty or xdm), and it would change the UID 
>of the child shell after you authenticate.
>

And use a login shell (i.e. that sets up things like HOME and PATH and 
...), which isn't being done in the inittab hack above.

Mike


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list