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      <title>15.&nbsp;Root Password</title>
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               <th colspan="3" align="center">15.&nbsp;Root Password</th>
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      <div lang="" class="section" title="15.&nbsp;Root Password">
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            <div>
               <div>
                  <h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="drakxid-setRootPassword"></a>15.&nbsp;Root Password
                  </h2>
               </div>
            </div>
         </div>
           
         
         
           
         <div class="mediaobject" align="center"><img src="images/dx-setRootPassword.png" align="middle"></div>
         
           <a class="indexterm" name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-it1"></a>
           <a class="indexterm" name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-it2"></a>
         
          
         
           
         <p><a name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa1"></a>This is the
                most crucial decision point for the security of your <span class="application">GNU/Linux</span>
                system: you must enter the <code class="literal">root</code> password.
                <code class="literal">Root</code> is the system administrator and is the
                only user authorized to make updates, add users, change the
                overall system configuration, and so on. In short,
                <code class="literal">root</code> can do everything! That's why you must
                choose a password which is difficult to guess: <span class="application">DrakX</span> will
                tell you if the password you chose is too simple. You're not
                forced to enter a password, but we <span class="emphasis"><em>strongly</em></span>
                encourage you to do so. <span class="application">GNU/Linux</span> is just as prone to operator
                error as any other operating system. Since <code class="literal">root</code>
                can overcome all limitations and unintentionally erase all data on
                partitions by carelessly accessing the partitions themselves, it
                is important that it be difficult to become
                <code class="literal">root</code>.
         </p>
         
           
         
           
         <p><a name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa2"></a>The password
                should be a mixture of alphanumeric characters and at least 8
                characters long. Never write down <code class="literal">root</code>'s
                password&nbsp;&#8212; it makes it far too easy to compromise your
                system.
         </p>
         
           
         <p><a name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa3"></a>One caveat: don't make
                the password too long or too complicated because you must be able to
                remember it!
         </p>
         
           
         
          
         <p><a name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa4"></a>The password
              won't be displayed on screen as you type it. To reduce the chance of
              a blind typing error you will need to enter the password twice.  If
              you do happen to make the same typing error twice, you will have to
              use this <span class="quote">&#8220;<span class="quote">incorrect</span>&#8221;</span> password when you try to connect
              as <code class="literal">root</code>, at least for the first time.
         </p>
         
         
         
         
          
         <p><a name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa5"></a>You can
              change the way users are authenticated on your computer by clicking
              on the <span class="guibutton">Authentication method</span> button. The
              following authentication methods are available:
         </p>
         
         
         
          
         <div class="itemizedlist">
            <ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc">
               <li class="listitem">
                     
                  <p><a name="BIdNEW-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa7"></a><span class="guilabel">Local file</span>. Use a local file for all
                         authentication and user information. This is the default
                         method.
                  </p>
                    
               </li>
               <li class="listitem">
                     
                  <p><a name="BIdNEW-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa8"></a><a class="indexterm" name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-it3"></a><a class="indexterm" name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-it4"></a><span class="guilabel">LDAP</span>. Use an
                          <acronym class="acronym">LDAP</acronym> server for some or all authentication
                          needs. An <acronym class="acronym">LDAP</acronym> directory consolidates certain
                          types of information within your organization.
                  </p>
                    
               </li>
               <li class="listitem">
                     
                  <p><a name="BIdNEW-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa9"></a><a class="indexterm" name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-it5"></a><a class="indexterm" name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-it6"></a><span class="guilabel">NIS</span>. Authenticates users against
                          a <acronym class="acronym">NIS</acronym> domain. This allows you to run a group
                          of computers in the same <acronym class="acronym">NIS</acronym> domain using a
                          common password and group file.
                  </p>
                    
               </li>
               <li class="listitem">
                     
                  <p><a name="BIdNEW-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa10"></a><span class="guilabel">Smart
                             Card</span>. Uses <span class="application">SmartCard</span>
                          hardware for providing authentication services.
                  </p>
                    
               </li>
               <li class="listitem">
                     
                  <p><a name="BIdNEW-drakxid-setRootPassword-pa11"></a><a class="indexterm" name="BId-drakxid-setRootPassword-it7"></a><a class="indexterm" name="BIdNEW-drakxid-setRootPassword-it8"></a><span class="guilabel">Windows
                             Domain</span>. Uses a <span class="application">Windows<sup>&reg;</sup></span> domain controller to
                          provide authentication services through <span class="application">Active
                             Directory</span>, <span class="application">Microsoft</span>'s implementation of
                          <acronym class="acronym">LDAP</acronym>.
                  </p>
                    
               </li>
            </ul>
         </div>
         
          
         <p><a name="BId-drakx-pa6"></a>If you select a method other
              than <span class="guilabel">Local file</span>, you will be asked to provide
              some parameters, which vary from one method to the other. If you
              don't know those parameters, you should ask your network
              administrator.
         </p>
         
          
         <div class="note" title="Note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;">
            <table border="0" summary="Note">
               <tr>
                  <td rowspan="2" align="center" valign="top" width="25"><img alt="[Note]" src="note.png"></td>
                  <th align="left">Note</th>
               </tr>
               <tr>
                  <td align="left" valign="top">
                       
                     <p><a name="BId-drakx-pa137a"></a>If you happen to have
                           problems remembering passwords, or if your computer will never be
                           connected to the Internet and you absolutely trust everybody who
                           uses your computer, you can choose to have <span class="guibutton">No
                              password</span>. Please bear in mind that this is an insecure
                           option, and it is not recommended.
                     </p>
                       
                  </td>
               </tr>
            </table>
         </div>
         
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