Gerrybot

Kubuntu Linux has the root account disabled by default for security purposes. Users are encouraged to use the sudo command as an alternative whenever root-level priviledges are needed.

Now, maybe I’m too old-skool, but that’s just plain irritating.

Edit the kdmrc file

The first thing you need to do to enable root logons in Kubuntu is to modify the /etc/kde3/kdm/kdmrc file. However, to change this file - guess what? - you need root access! Here’s how to do it:

1. Press alt+F2 to call up the Run Command. Type in /etc/kde3/kdm to call up the kdm folder in Konqueror.
2. When the folder opens, you should see a file called kdmrc. Right-click it and select Actions, Edit As Root. You’ll be prompted for the root password (which should be your own password)
3. The file should open up in a text editor (KWrite on my installation). Broswe for the line AllowRootLogin=false and change false to true. Save the file and close it.

Enabling Root Logins (Modifying the Root User Account)

The second step here is to actually enable the root account for login, because it is disabled by default. There may be a quicker, more linux way to do this, but this is my method:

1. Press alt+F2 to call up the Run Command. Type in kuser to start up the KDE User Manager.
2. Double-click on the root entry to bring up the account properties and uncheck the Account Disabled checkbox. Click OK to save the changes.
3. Exit the KDE User Manager.

And that’s it! If you log off, you should now be able to login to Kubuntu as root.

Why Enable Root Logins?

Yes, I know that in an ideal world I would use sudo. Why did I absolutely require root access? Well…

1. I don’t know Linux very well. I can hold my own, but I don’t speak the command-line-lingo like the pros.
2. Elements of the GUI in Kubuntu don’t work so well. In particular, the network configuration utility ‘forgets’ the default gateway entry.
3. Some graphical tools also have an Administrator Mode button. I found in some instances that this didn’t work. You would type in credentials and it would return you to the same greyed-out screen, indicating that authentication had been rejected. Very frustrating.
4. Being fairly unfamiliar with Linux, I didn’t know the command equivalent for these graphical functions, so I couldn’t very well sudo them, could I?

If anybody reading this has any links to good newbie linux resources, let me know!!!

Kubuntu is a branch of the up and coming Ubuntu desktop Linux distribution. Where Ubuntu is based on the Gnome desktop system, Kubuntu is based on KDE (hence the K).

I’ve not used Linux in a long while, and fancied a bit of a mess around, perhaps to mess about with it as a LAMP web server. I initially downloaded and installed Ubuntu, but I’ve never liked the Gnome interface. I was about to ditch the idea completely when I discovered there was a KDE-based offshoot.

The biggest irritation for me is the default security option - the root account is disabled by default. The first user is granted superuser privileges which they can execute via command line using sudo and the command they want to execute. In some of the GUI consoles, there’s an Administrator Mode button which doesn’t seem to work very well as far as I can tell. I’ve managed to hack the system so that I can logon as root and make administrative changes that way. Not totally secure, but less hassle. I’m not using it for anything critical at the moment anyway.

Kubuntu: A Viable Desktop Operating System?

Is Kubuntu a viable alternative to Windows XP? Not quite at the moment, but it’s gaining momentum.

Two major failings are:

1. Still not enough major-label software available for Linux. That includes driver support for contemporary hardware devices.
2. K/Ubuntu has a few frustrating bugs that need to be squashed. While ‘us techies’ will be able to work around them, normal Joes will end up irritated and potentially walks away.

Still, there’s so much potential in a system like Kubuntu. For an average user - my wife, for instance - all she needs is a web browser, word processor and possibly an email client, although with Gmail that’s not such an issue. For me, I’d be looking for my Dreamweaver, my Photoshop and a host of other applications that I rely on to do my work, and although there are ways to make Windows applications run on Linux, I’ve not had the time to explore this. I suspect regular users won’t want to waste time with it either.

Anyway, the jury’s out on Kubuntu Linux. I’m giving it a trial on an old machine, so if there’s anything interesting with Kubuntu, I’ll post it here.