I'm Admin and must be treated as such.

Hi Guys,

Fresh Linux/Ubuntu user just 48 Hours old. You know how it feels?

Well, I'll just repeat what you probably have heard thousands of time before but this is a start.

I'm your cousin Mac OSX. I can easily understand the user permissions issue because I have to deal with it all the time but what I don't understand is the baby sitting concept on Linux machines. Why I'm not given enough permissions as the first user to access my system at will.

I installed in the first place, so if I have the right to install the system from scratch then I should be able to change permissions of files just like root.

root can hold to the crown jewels just like in Mac osx system, where you have access to most parts of the system and can take ownership of files, folders, anything that you like. Just get info. the item and assign yourself as owner. You're admin after all.

All that in a friendly graphical user interface and it is as effective as in Linux. Should you need extra powers, then terminal is just a click away.

Take for instance my case. I have a PC box with .... with ... OK XP installed, so I decided to sanitize my office by seeking the help of my cousin Linux. It was only logical to me.

I wanted to have my own web development server. I already have a fully functional one on my Mac but an additional one will help speed things a bit.

I thought it is going to be a matter of installing the system and then enabling the apache, php, mysql and I'm done. I discovered that I can't even connect to the website or FTP or anything. I was able to connect to my user account and mount it through FTP on my Mac, I even was able to share a Mac printer with Ubuntu, but that was all I was able to do.

Now I can't FTP to the main server because I don't have permissions to access the var, etc, and the rest of the system.

Changing permissions proved to be an issue of heating a swimming pool to boil a couple of eggs.

What's wrong with a GUI for admin? It has been a great success with OSX so why not Linux?

On the Mac there's this nifty app called CLIX where you can have super admin powers in a graphical setup. It is dangerous but why type a long line of command when a checkbox will do?

OK guys, I vented all my anger and started feeling good already, I'm angry because I'm almost touching the crystal ball of super powers and only a chown away.

Don't worry about me, I always find my way around, It is just that many other potential users might decide agains Linux for the same reasons.

Cheers, Arif

In a way I agree. Experianced users should be able to type in passwords less at the risk of greater danger on the human error part (human stupidity rather). That way nobody can complain that the feature was not there. And if they do then we should just be able to say turn the feature off. Anyway GUI for admin sounds great to me, just beware the dumb users activating it because it's convinient.

Its your choice to decide against Linux, but first you ought to know nothing comes easy in this world and frankly you should know this, if you have been around longer than 16 years. I am surprised that you think OSX is any better than windows, especially when it comes to baby sitting, but you go ahead and think what you will. Any who, I am not knocking you, just trying to let you know that while some might view your opinion as truth it is not so to many people.

Enjoy your life.

Your whole rant seemed to be based on your incompetence.

You don't know how to do something and start pointing fingers.

Had you actually done 5 minutes of research you would know

1) about sudo and gksudo 2) how to enable the root account

billgoldberg said: your whole rant seemed to be based on your incompetence.

You don't know how to do something and start pointing fingers.

Had you actually done 5 minutes of research you would know

1) about sudo and gksudo 2) how to enable the root account

+1

Aldoseri said: what I don't understand is the baby sitting concept on Linux machines. Why I'm not given enough permissions as the first user to access my system at will. Maybe because of threads like these?

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=6461707&postcount=1 http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=6457749&postcount=1

Hmm, I see some recurrence here...

Well even though I agree on the matter that maybe administration stuff should have more GUI under ubuntu, it can be a real pain to get nautilus running under admin mode if you have no idea what to do. But your post is very... well... Its not good I can tell you that much

What about "I'm an admin and therefore I should act like one"?

Yes, you installed the system in the first place so you are the only one that gets access to admin privileges which you can invoke with sudo or gksudo.

Changing permissions from root to a user is really <<not done>> in most cases. Mysql, apache and ftp servers run under their own user and as such they get sufficient privileges to do their job.

mistakes are made by everyone every day true [darwin] winners make the front page. some are saved the embarrassment by someone asking "are you sure" some are saved the embarrassment by having to type "sudo" and attitude "I always know what I am doing" it that first step to the front page.

hey watch this.

nepherte said: what about "i'm an admin and therefore i should act like one"?

+1,000,000,000,000,000. :)

Cool down, It's not worth it really.

I clearly stated that I was only 48 hours on Linux machine ever and posted this thread in the biggeners forum as I thought this is where it belongs because I assumed this is what a biggener would think. I expected understanding more than actual help.

If the fact that I'm comparing Mac os x to Linux pisses some people off then this is not justifiable because it is a human nature to compare. We compare everything to what we already know. Food, climate, cars, computers. etc...

We run comparisons to establish a reference point. It is like recalibrating our minds to accept new knowledge or instructions.

Above all I'm not against Linux or Ubuntu or Fedora or any other flavour of *nix out there. It is just that I wished things are easier because I really know that Linux is powerful and I wanted to test a script at a very short notice.

Don't tell me you were born with root permissions preset. You all went through this stage so why denie it for others.

I thought we Mac users are the worst when it comes to defending our beloved system but you proved me wrong (Comparison!)

At the end of my post I said " Don't worry about me, I always find my way around " This means I'm not deciding against Linux as a system but I was thinking of people who might not consider Linux as a viable system for the same reasons.

I think my original post was very friendly, but you attacked me for no good reason. If posting in this forum will cause this much misunderstanding then it is better not to post until a bigginer becomes an expert then we won't need the forum.

The truth is some of you are holding to the command line because it gives them some status, but all this will change. We Mac users were bragging about the no command line system but times change.

For me?, I will continue being a Mac user, and will continue using Linux regardless of this first encounter with Linux users. I'll just order a book from Amazon and start learning Linux just like I did with DOS, Windows, Mac os 7.5, and Mac OS x.

Life is too short to argue over little thing.

I wish you a GUI

Excuse me but the title you choose is a bit ehm, arrogant. And comparing something you good at to something that you only knew for 2 days would not bring any significant result, especially stating that things should be easier, well things is always easier, when you know how.

well like I said i do support your idea of more GUI for admin tasks for ubuntu, and have been advocating it myself for some time. Maybe it will come next version, who knows?

in this case I must side with the OP. Having just and still experiencing what they speak of.

I just backed up files so that i could change drives. changing to a 120gb from a 40gb. Thats it no problems with the drive or the install. No problems just going to give the smaller drive to someone that needs it.

So I backup the files I want to the new drive. no prob. until i want to move them around. WTF "you you do not own ... request denied.

Wait a minuite these are MY Fing files trtansfered from MY fing drive to my fing drive. But before I can move them or use them I must first sacrifice to the proper Gods and recite the magic incantation (chown among others comes to mind).

Now dont get me wrong there is no way i can see that I will ever revert to a winsucks system. However instead of eye candy and other less than necessary implements there should be an easy way to fix this kind of ****.

Although I believe you're intentions are good, I think you make some invalid points. I hope you don't take our reactions all too personal because they really aren't.

If the fact that I'm comparing Mac os x to Linux pisses some people offI'm afraid that some people really do get pissed which is really unfortunate because it gives a bad impression. I do have some remarks though. You compare one with the other while you only used linux for a very brief period, as opposed to os x, and it seems that in that time, you didn't do a lot of research. That's a shame because it makes your comparison a little unfair. When reviewers compare cars, they most likely use that car for the same amount of time and get all the facts straight. I understand that it's not really viable to use linux for the same amount of time as os x, but you have to be aware of this issue. Anyways, every well constructed opinion on Ubuntu is welcome and can be put in the section experiences & testimonials.

Don't tell me you were born with root permissions preset. You all went through this stage so why denie it for others. very true.

I thought we Mac users are the worst when it comes to defending our beloved system but you proved me wrong (Comparison!) You will find those defenders for every operating system, linux included.

The truth is some of you are holding to the command line because it gives them some status, but all this will change. We Mac users were bragging about the no command line system but times change. Status certainly isn't the only reason to use the command line ;) Some things can be done a lot easier in the command line than with a gui once you get the grip of it. People who haven't seen a command line or haven't for a long time (windows users, os x users) tend to forget that.

stalkingwolf said: in this case I must side with the OP. Having just and still experiencing what they speak of.

I just backed up files so that i could change drives. changing to a 120gb from a 40gb. Thats it no problems with the drive or the install. No problems just going to give the smaller drive to someone that needs it.

So I backup the files I want to the new drive. no prob. until i want to move them around. WTF "you you do not own ... request denied.

Wait a minuite these are MY Fing files trtansfered from MY fing drive to my fing drive. But before I can move them or use them I must first sacrifice to the proper Gods and recite the magic incantation (chown among others comes to mind).

Now dont get me wrong there is no way i can see that I will ever revert to a winsucks system. However instead of eye candy and other less than necessary implements there should be an easy way to fix this kind of ****.

Yeh its cases like this where I feel administration access should be easier, no root logins or anything but a GUI for sudo for such things. I wish I was a programmer sometimes.

An analogy to your post is "I am the driver and must be treated as such. My old car was an automatic and I could drive 55mph just by pressing down the gas pedal. I bought a car with standard transmission yesterday, but it won't go over 20mph and makes funny noises. Standard transmission will never catch on with the public if they can't drive fast! p.s. Does anyone know what this third pedal is for?"

Aldoseri said:

I think my original post was very friendly, but you attacked me for no good reason. If posting in this forum will cause this much misunderstanding then it is better not to post until a bigginer becomes an expert then we won't need the forum.

yes, you were very friendly and welcome to linux and the forums. don't take it personally. sometimes i think the written word comes across the wrong way sometimes because we don't know the real emotion behind it. i will vouch that this is one of the most friendly forums on the net. i think that some people are just a little jumpy because we are constantly having to defend ourselves as linux users. like i said, don't take it personally.

secondly, i highly recommend that you stay here and ask questions in the appropriate forums and people will bend over backwards to help you. no need to go running away. you will see that we are really a great bunch of folk here. hang in there and good luck.

Aldoseri said: It is just that I wished things are easier ~

But it is easy.

Alt + F2, then ``` gksudo nautilus

Have fun screwing it all up.....

snowpine said: An analogy to your post is "I am the driver and must be treated as such. My old car was an automatic and I could drive 55mph just by pressing down the gas pedal. I bought a car with standard transmission yesterday, but it won't go over 20mph and makes funny noises. Standard transmission will never catch on with the public if they can't drive fast! p.s. Does anyone know what this third pedal is for?"

:lolflag:

+1.

I thought you meant site admin LOL

anyway in ubuntu at least, from my own *little* experience and *little* understanding, it was designed so that the root account is disabled (which means no root, which means no one to give a GUI to). afaik, there are ways to enable it (it's illegal to tell you in the forums), and give it a gui.

If all that seems inconvenient to you, there are other distros that make you more powerful right from the start...sorta.

thoughts from a young ubuntu user.

billgoldberg said: Your whole rant seemed to be based on your incompetence.

You don't know how to do something and start pointing fingers.

Had you actually done 5 minutes of research you would know

1) about sudo and gksudo 2) how to enable the root account

+2

Because of his incompetence he is making everyone laugh. :( He should do himself (and the world) a favor, and go back to Mac or Windows.

pirate_tux said: +2

Because of his incompetence he is making everyone laugh. :( He should do himself (and the world) a favor, and go back to Mac or Windows.

I don't agree.

I was a bit harsh maybe in my post, but that was because he came over harsh in his post.

He was new to Linux and hadn't gotten used to the Ubuntu way.

I can see how it might be frustrating.

I maybe harsh, but that's only because I envy him, he have mac :(. +I'm admin, I need mac. -No, all you need is nicotine. +That will do.

Well, Well. You had your fun and sarcasim which is nothing I can't return, but let me tell you the main reason why I decided to include Linux in my setup.

I was really impressed. I had a copy of Linux Magazine, UK edition about about 6 months ago, and also issue 97 December 2008 of the same magazine. I went through it and was impressed that there are people who actually created a fantastic operating system and gave away for free, not that I enjoy free or cheap stuff (Remember the arrogance of a Mac user?) but I loved the idea of giving. I thought those people must be angles to dedicate this much time, effort and, money then offer it for free.

My mistake is i didn't study the Linux culture, instead I acted as if I were in my own culture (Mac again) so I said what I thought is a honest opinion not to criticize as much as to point out what a new user would expect in the hope that one of the angles would kindly point me to the right direction. This happens even to the so called experts, sometimes the obvious is easier to miss more than anything else.

What I didn't know is that being a Mac or a windows user is considered a valid reason for an attack. This cultural war is not mine. I'm not part of it and will never be, because I didn't know there is an historic war between the two campaigns.

So if I lived through the DOS age, made it to windows, then took the full plunge in Mac os, and finally I'm peaking on the Linux era, does this make me incompetent? I don't think so buddy!

Mastering the command line is not a problem. I mostly hand code my websites rather than use a WYSIWYG editor. Incompetence to me is when you're afraid to admit that you have a problem.

Anyway, say what you usually say, I will still have my system up and running the way it should with or without your help, you know we Mac users have been through this stage with windows before, now it's your turn but I'm sure with time you'll become more tolerant. it gets better with time.

In the middle of all that I would like to thank those who showed understanding and offered support. You make all the difference.

Short and sweet

Arif

Hey Aldoseri, don't take some of the harsher comments too personally, you're a new guy and you have an opinion. You are new to linux, started the system, encountered an issue unique to your needs and posted. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Look at the situation now from long standing members of these forums, guys who see posts like yours at least once a day.Now think of the monotony of these kinds of posts. Realistically, had you been a long time Linux user, this would not be an issue but you're a long time mac user and like many pointed out, after a meer 48 hours you found yourself upset. That is essentially the problem. People spend 10+ years on another OS, use linux for 2 mins(exaggeration:)) then come in post stupid s*** like "Maybe Linux isn't such a good concept after all" (THIS WAS A PERSONAL FAVOURITE OF MINE)

Further to which, the resolution is often something easy that could have been found browsing these same forums for a few mins.

On the other hand, I agree with you also. I'd like to see more gui tools 'cause I'm a gui guy :) (you should see my face when i try to setup iptables in the terminal, not pretty)

Anyways, stick around for as long as i have, been here like 6 months, have fun, learn the system, and trust, come August some noob will post some tirade on the shortcomings of linux when they probably coulda just sudoed somethin simple and you'll probably wail on them for lack of research Like Billgoldberg sometimes does :)

Bill is a great member by the way.

See you around....

PS. my last straw with vista was about user rights. Or lack therof

Yep, one mistake was made here. Rather than coming to the forum to ask a question along the lines of "How do I do this?" or "Am I missing something?", the OP came in with the accusations and assumed it was a fault of the OS rather than a pure lack of experience using it.

In future, you will find people a lot more receptive if you first *ask for help* when you don't know how something is done. That approach should solve any issues with the perceived grouchyness of the Ubuntu community.

Aldoseri said:

My mistake is i didn't study the Linux culture, instead I acted as if I were in my own culture (Mac again) so I said what I thought is a honest opinion not to criticize as much as to point out what a new user would expect in the hope that one of the angles would kindly point me to the right direction. Well, you got this part right, sort of. Maybe it works on Mac support forums to barge in saying "I've been using Mac for 48 hrs now and I'll educate you all on what's wrong with it", but it usually doesn't work here. If you need help with something, explain the issue and ask for help. It isn't any more complicated than that.

Aldoseri said:

What I didn't know is that being a Mac or a windows user is considered a valid reason for an attack. This cultural war is not mine. I'm not part of it and will never be, because I didn't know there is an historic war between the two campaigns. You weren't attacked for being a Mac or Windows user. Your first post shows an obvious lack of understanding of Ubuntu and Linux in general (the thread title in itself is a dead giveaway), which means your criticism is only based in your lack of knowledge, and therefore mostly unfounded. The replies you got were mostly people setting you straight.

I do apologize for my lack of understanding. It wasn't meant to be like that. and diffinately I didn't come here to criticize the system and then leave.

If what it takes to get an answer is to ask a specific question then this is what I'm gonna do should I need help.

To rephrase my question I'd say" How can I setup Ubuntu as a web server?"

But since this thread has gone way off topic, I'd rather ask the question after spending a couple of weeks learning about Linux's way of doing things so I ask the right questions at the right forum.

I hope this apology will make up for the damage.

I'm on your side, this is for sure. I just thought the beginners forum was the right place to speak freely about how I felt or expected as a new user. After all, I got rid of windows in favor of Ubuntu/Linux. Don't you thing this is a good starting point? I hope so.

Cheers, Arif

OS X doesn't give you root access from the GUI without authenticating. Every time you have to "unlock" something (like in System Preferences), that's the OS X equivalent of gksudo.

EDavidBurg said: OS X doesn't give you root access from the GUI without authenticating. Every time you have to "unlock" something (like in System Preferences), that's the OS X equivalent of gksudo.

That is true, You need to authenticate to unlock functions. and here where things went wrong as I have always thought of OS X as a Linux in disguise so I figure out that if OS X can do it, then Linux can do it as well.

I have many, many apps ported from Linux, this gave me the impression that things are more or less alike.

Anyway, we live and learn.

Aldoseri said: That is true, You need to authenticate to unlock functions. and here where things went wrong as I have always thought of OS X as a Linux in disguise so I figure out that if OS X can do it, then Linux can do it as well.

I have many, many apps ported from Linux, this gave me the impression that things are more or less alike.

Anyway, we live and learn.

OSX is Unix, Linux is Unix like.

Both are different, but similar in some ways.

--

I guess by now you'll know how to open an app with admin privilages, but I'll explain it again.

Let's say you need to edit a file in /var

You have a few options.

You do everything in the terminal using

sudo nano /var/file

You could open a text editor using gksudo and then use the text editor to open the file.

gksudo gedit

Or you could use Nautilus (the file manager) in root mode.

gksudo nautilus

You can add the last two things to the Applications menu ("system -> preferences -> main menu").