[WBEL-users] Installation

[Bernie Hoefer]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Tim Fountain wrote:
- ---
> I am new to White Box, and am migrating from W2K & XP.  I have
- ---
     Hi, Tim!  From your e-mail, it sounds like you are not only new to
White Box Enterprise Linux (WBEL), but to GNU/Linux & UNIX in general.
Welcome!  Although the graphic user interfaces (GUIs) make WBEL 'feel' a
lot like Windows, you'll probably find some of the underlying concepts
different.

- ---
> successfully installed the desktop white box but when I go to use the
> system I am prompted by a user name and password.  I am not logging
- ---
     This is normal, and has nothing to do whether your machine is
connected to the Internet or your Windows side of your dual-boot
configuration.  UNIX, by its nature, is a multi-user operating system.
Multiple users could be logged into a UNIX computer doing work at the
same time -- dozens, hundreds, even thousands of users -- the limitation
is only how powerful your hardware is.  Almost all of these users would
be connected remotely, but even the local console gives a limited set of
multiple login screens.  Press Ctrl-Alt-F1 through F7 to see the
multiple terminals.  (Only the terminal associated with the F7 button is
the GUI terminal, by default.)
     My personal recommendation is to use the login screen, as that
provides security from others messing with your machine.  It is also, in
my opinion, part of the UNIX culture, and you wouldn't want to miss out
on that, would you?  :-)

     Still, none of that may matter to you, and that's cool.  Below is
how you can change it.  But first, let me explain something.  (My
apologies if you already know this.)
     UNIX and GNU/Linux almost always has a user account called "root".
 When you installed WBEL, you had to assign root a password.  To put it
bluntly, root is god.  Root can do anything to the system at anytime.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE LOGGED IN ALL THE TIME AS ROOT.  You should only
log in as root when you need to make system changes; other work like
browsing the web, reading e-mail, using the office suite, etc. should be
done as a normal (non-privileged) user.  This separation of user powers
in one thing that keeps UNIX & GNU/Linux relatively virus/worm free:  if
a non-privileged user does something stupid (opens a virus-filled
e-mail, copies over an infected file, tries to remove everything in all
subdirectories, etc.) the system keeps that user from damaging the
system files.
     During the WBEL install process, I believe you were prompted to
create a user account.  Did you?  If not, login to the box as root.
Click whatever icon is playing the part of the "Start button" and go to
Systems Settings --> Users & Groups.  Add a user.  (This app has a good
help window if you get stuck.)

     After you have a non-privileged user, go to "Start button" -->
System Settings --> Login Screen.  Under the General tab, there is a
section for automatic logins.  Choose your non-privileged user as the
one to use.

     There you go!  Should you need to do something as root, you should
be able to logout of the automatically logged on user session and the
machine will take you back to the login prompt.  Or, you could just
switch to one of the F-number terminals for command line fun.
Experienced UNIX administrators would use the "su" command from a
command line.  ("su" stands for "switch user".  You can type "man su"
for a manual page describing it.)
     Good luck!

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP 8.0.2 - not licensed for commercial use: www.pgp.com

iQA/AwUBQH4Y5nJBpqlEam+TEQKQuwCfai2lFDZFn5p8FDbk/Ln0hvtU1GAAnR57
okFceD/UnhakIoiI7CXX+00k
=1L/0
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
-- 
Bernie Hoefer
PGP e-mail is welcome!  Get my 1024 bit signature key from:
<http://pgpkeys.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x446A6F93>.
"The more I know, the more I realize how much I do not understand."