Re: [linuxiran] Normal user called root [was:Download a File Via wget]

[Hossein S. Zadeh]

On Wed, 20 Aug 2003, Aryan Ameri wrote:

> >
> > Of course you can! Just edit /etc/passwd file.
> >
> 
> No you can't. The reason is simple.
> 
> On any Unix system, the first username that is assigned to the system is 
> 'root'. On any Unix installation, you first setup root, and then add 
> other users to the system.

Why don't you just try it? Unix systems have no concept of user names as 
such. All functions work with UID. It id UID "0" (zero) that has a special 
meaning in Unix, not username root. 

It is job of the shell to translate UIDs to usernames (and back). For 
example, you can create a new user, and change the username (but not the 
UID) in /etc/passwd, and /etc/shadow files. The system will then know the 
UID as the new username...

You can do the same thing with user "root". Just keep the UID as zero, and 
change the username. You can also create a new user, and change the UID to 
zero (in /etc/passwd file), and the new user will have "root" privileges.

Hossein