Hi Ingo,
Well, being new to Linux, how would you know that working as root ain't good and is easily avoided? If you've only seen Windows before, you've worked as administrator all the time and if ever you tried not to, you most probably gave up frustrated. When, if not at the very beginning of your "linux career", is the time to rethink? I doubt that someone will start not working as root after N years when he's taken over the old habit and working as root on linux as well. Of course people can decide themselves. I'm just illustrating why it's not a good idea and how to do it the better way. I think this is the information a newcomer needs. It won't pop into his head automatically.
... yes, I agree 100%. And I'm sure all so-called techies will to. And every techie tells every newbie to do and not do certain things because newbies can't possibly know. It's perfectly fine for a newbie to ask and that's why techies will always help. The problem arises when said newbie won't listen but instead insists on what he does is right and the only way to do it. This is when the techie starts getting angry because he wasted time to try to teach the newbie for good. The newbie then in turn will not understand why the techie gets angry but instead insist that his way to do it is the right way. This is when the techie understandably turns away in disgust and the newbie accuses techies that they won't listen and only reluctantly help and Linux needs better publicity and all that crap. If the newbie (despite how many academic degrees or what not) would have listened in the first place there would have been no problem. But instead it leaves techies in a light that they are elite and want to be left alone and not help and all that which is completely wrong. But if you want to help somebody, then that somebody must be ready and willing to accept help. If not, then the help is completely useless and wasted. Exactly THAT was the essense and nothing else! It was NOT about newbies having or not having the right to ask. It was NOT about the techies' willingness to help and all that. It was about the newbies' readiness to accept help, which was not the case with our academic friend. Finally, for me this is the end of the thread. I now am NOT willing to discuss this issue any further, period. -- cul8er Paul paul.foerster@gmx.net