Linux root account: powers, risks and commands to avoid

The root user on Linux can execute any command with zero restrictions and has unrestricted access to every file and folder on the system, according to ZDNET.

Most modern distributions grant temporary administration rights via sudo, and some, such as Ubuntu, disable the root account by default (it can be enabled by setting a password). ZDNET notes root can modify system and user configurations, access important directories including /etc, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin and /boot, and read users' home directories. Root can also create and delete users, change permissions and groups, install and remove applications, manage services and logs, set up or delete backups and manage firewalls and security policies.

ZDNET lists a set of explicit actions to avoid as root: do not change critical configurations that could prevent booting, do not delete critical system files, do not recursively set permissions to 777, and do not run destructive commands such as rm -rf /*. The outlet also warns against deleting all cron jobs, running the emoticon fork bomb (:(){ :|:& };:), running sudo find / -type f -exec shred -n 5 -z -u {} +, or using dd incorrectly. Use sudo when possible, avoid working as root on desktop systems, and if you must use root test changes on non-production machines and be certain of what you are doing. Remember, sudo is your friend.

Key Topics

Tech, Linux, Root Account, Sudo, Ubuntu, Fork Bomb