On 01/01/2011 03:31 AM, Marko Vojinovic wrote: > On Friday 31 December 2010 16:44:48 Johan Scheepers wrote: >> On 12/30/2010 01:12 AM, Tim wrote: >>> On Wed, 2010-12-29 at 22:33 +0200, Johan Scheepers wrote: >>>> When tested xmms on mp3, I was logged in as root. >>> Not a good idea. And as well as the security/reliability issues, you >>> end up painting yourself into a corner. Get out of the habit of logging >>> in as root. It's rarely ever needed, other than by someone who's >>> previously logged in as root, keeps on doing so, and won't break the >>> habit. >>> >>> As for failing to open the sound device: If that's not down to a >>> problem you've permanently created by modifying things left right and >>> centre, because you've been logging in as root, then you *may* resolve >>> that by: Log out as root. Make sure all users are logged off. Log in >>> normally as a normal user. The sound device should, then, be available >>> to that user. >>> >>> That sort of thing is/was handled by console helper, which assigns the >>> non-shareable hardware to the user currently logged into the console. >>> >>> What's non-shareable hardware? Things like sound, which can't play >>> music for one user, and play music for another user, concurrently. >>> Well, not without two different songs playing over the top of each other >>> out of the same set of speakers. And things like *a* keyboard and *a* >>> mouse, which also can't be used by two different people at the same >>> time. >> What a negative, judgement, useless response. > What is so negative and useless about it? As for the judgement, Tim is > completely right, you should *never* log into X as root. It is well known to > be a Bad Idea (tm). Furthermore, in default Fedora (ie. Gnome) installation, > root login is deliberately disabled, precisely to avoid the kind of mess you > got yourself into with xmms, for example. > > There is absolutely no reason to log in as root. Just log in as a normal user, > and if you ever try to do something that requires root privileges, the system > will just ask you for the root password. It's as simple as that. > > You should listen to what Tim said and learn, rather than feeling offended. > > Best, :-) > Marko > Ok, maybe some explaining is required. I am 70 + years. I use my car as millions of other people do without knowing the inside workings. Just be sure to do the maintanance. Stick to the rules. Doing this since I was 10 yrs old and still not care for the inner workings. The same with my computer and been doing this since 1974 with a sinclair ZX81 and then the spectrum and then the IBM and so and so on. (36 yrs). Still don't care for the inner workings just the maintenance. Started on linux in 1998 with redhat 5 box set. The book in the box "running linux by O'Reilly". Read it from cover to cover and found it still valid today. Later mandrake, suse, ubuntu. So I *know* the dangers of "root". At the moment I use on different usb external drives, suse 11.3, ubuntu 10.10, debian test, ubuntustudio, centos 5.5, mandriva and now fedora. Why? I enjoy it and keep my brain working and challenged. When beyond me I seek advice and learn every day. If I did not by "mistake" use xmms as root I would not been able to get the correct advice witch did happen. I am list member of all these flavours and see how I am not the only one that need assistance. I do appreciate the assistance list members do give. Now I trust this will be the end of this. Regards Johan -- users mailing list users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines