red hat wants username

[richnsue]

i've installed red hat 8, when i boot it asks for username and password. but during installation it only asked for a password.
i never bothered to create other users, assuming that administrator would be enough. so why is it asking for a user name?

[afd00]

well the administrator's username in linux is root and his password is the one you specified. try those and they should work.

[richnsue]

thanks afd00 at least i'm in now. tell me, is it possible to do away with the log in thingy all together and boot up automatically?

[afd00]

i haven't heard of such an option but i won't count on it: it goes against the tradition and the design of UNIX

[Jimstep]

All Linux has username and password logon's.

[bushmaster]

yes but one can make it logon to a user account and xserver on boot so as not to have to type a name and password every time. RTFM

[atxplus]

are you sure you want to stick with linux? its one hell of a system to set up. the Only easy thing about setting up RED HAT 8.0 is when you are installing the operating system.
You try to install the programs that will really make your head spin.
If you didnt know that the administrator was called root. Then I would suggest you stick with Windows XP which is a very friendly user environment. and almost bomb proof I still have probs with it booting 1 out of every10 times but I can live with that.

[linux_guru]

Mandrake has the option of auto logging in 1 user at boot up time. Versions 8.2 & 9.0 have this. You get asked at install time, if you want to use this "feature". I always say no.

[itismike]

richnsue, some have hinted at the reason but nobody explained it to you, so here it is:

Linux/Unix is a multi-user oriented OS. It is expected to have several to many users log in and use/share programs and files, while preventing any old user from disrupting the system (which is very configurable to suit one's needs.)

root has the power to do anything. Browse the internet, edit text documents, mount/unmount devices, delete files, create and execute malicious programs, and erase entire partitions. The idea is that root will be the administrator of the system, and the users will be users.

As most people in this forum are probably using Linux for themselves, they will tell you that it is a little annoying to log in as root to install a program and then re-login as a user to browse the internet and use programs. If we took a poll, I'd bet that a large percentage of users that responded would say that they log in as root as a matter of convenience every time. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is just not as idiot-proof as Windows, which warns you before even LOOKING at a system file.

-Mike

[linux_guru]

I ONLY login as root. Been doing it for years, without ever trashing a system or getting hacked. Being a bit of a Unix wizard helps me in locking it down tight.

[atxplus]

If you are a standard home type user and you are just mucking about then logging in as root doesnt really matter as windows xp by default gives every one administrators rights. some programs need administrators rights to actually work in winXP

[itismike]

Yes Junior (j/k), but we were talking about Linux, for which what you said is also true.

-Mike

[atxplus]

Im a user of unix/linux, I have actually worked in industry as an installation engineer installing UNIX boxs into GM motor dealer sites this was back in the early 90's at the time SCO unix ver 4.0 which had to be loaded from tape stremers. and the event of CD's were just coming on line. I just think that the way Linux is being hyped up is a bit over the top and personally as a desktop for ordianry joe public its not got a lot going for it. you still have to use criptic commands at the console just to mount cdroms and the like. because the automount feature is ****! Im looking at the point of view of that user who had no idea what the significance of root actually meant. Im trying to highlight that to get one multimedia program installed without tearing out your hair its best to turn to joe public operating system. winxp. Sure if you like tinkering with the innards of OS then go and do it you can learn quite a lot. and the silly debate about when you should use root to login just highlights the point about using linux. Its good for servers and stuff I don't bother with xwindows because if you want a gui os type sytem which works like switching on a light or opening up a fridge door then use winxp.