Root equivalence to normal user

[Global Service Desk]

Hi,

I am trying to find out, how to add a normal user as root, i searched for thread in forum but nothing i could found.

let me give my requirement :

I have 4 users in a group app1 :

user1
user2
user3
user4,

now, i want user1 should have root privilises also.

can some body help me ??

Thanks in advance !!

Regards
GOvidaG.

[MarkSyder · Accepted solution]

This can easily be done but is not recommended - it is a security risk. Far better to use sudo and let user1 etc. have access to specified root commands (not including switching user to root). sudo has the added advantage of keeping a log of what each user has done, so if someone does something destructive you can see who it was.

If you really insist on doing it the non-recommended way, you need to give the users a uid of 0.

Mark Syder (like the drink but spelt different)

[Jean-Yves Picard]

Hello,

/etc/passwd look like :

root:PWCrypticpwd:0:3::/:/sbin/sh
daemon:*:1:5::/:/sbin/sh
bin:*:2:2::/usr/bin:/sbin/sh
sys:*:3:3::/:

that is seven field separated by :
when the third field is 0 (zero) user is root.

you need to be root to edit /etc/passwd.

Jean-Yves Picard

[Global Service Desk]

HI,

Thanks for the quick responses !!

But, i wonder if ther is any other way to give root pricilisez other than giving the user UID 0,

rgds,
GovindaG,

[Arunvijai_4]

Hi,

You can use "sudo" to do this. Also, it is the most secure way of doing.

-Arun

[Arunvijai_4]

Hi, Check these threads as well,

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=970859
http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=364928

Without uid 0, you can do with Group of root.

-Arun

[Devender Khatana]

Hi,

Allthough you should know how to do it. Still you should not do it.

Setting UID=0 i.e. third field in the entry for that user in /etc/passwd will make it having same previledges as root.

HTH,
Devender

[Pete Randall]

As previously mentioned, probably the best way to accomplish this is to install and configure sudo:

http://hpux.cs.utah.edu/hppd/hpux/Sysadmin/sudo-1.6.8p9/

The only other ways are to set up restricted SAM to allow non-privileged users access to certain SAM functions, or to write setuid wrapper scripts, which is also considered a security risk.


Pete

[Arunvijai_4]

Hi,

Sudo is part of Internet express as well, it has compiled with more options. You can download from,

http://h20293.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=HPUXIEXP1111


-Arun

[Vipulinux]

Hi

While craeting the user using useradd command, use -o option & specify id as 0



Cheers

[Global Service Desk]

hi,

Thanks again for info,

can any body tell me how to user sudo ??

any docs are greatly appriciated ??

regards
GOvinda

[Devender Khatana]

Hi,

Sudo will come as a SD format file. Which can be installed using swinstall.

#swinstall -s /path_to_depot/file_name.depot

After installing you can add user/groups to the sudoers file in the syntax allready mentioned in the sudoers file. Use visudo to edit the sudoers fileot ALL=(ALL) ALL


#visduo

The entries should look like
=============================
# Uncomment to allow people in group wheel to run all commands
# %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL
%iocl iocbk101 = /usr/sbin/dmesg
# Same thing without a password
# %wheel ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

# Samples
# %users ALL=/sbin/mount /cdrom,/sbin/umount /cdrom
# %users localhost=/sbin/shutdown -h now
hpce mydb=/usr/bin/rlogin,/usr/lbin/remshd,/usr/sbin/cmviewcl, /usr/sbin/cmviewcl -v, /usr/sbin/dmesg, /usr/sbin/vxdmpadm listctlr al
l, /usr/sbin/sam, /usr/sbin/swinstall, /opt/contrib/bin/nickel, /usr/bin/gsp, /sbin/ioscan, /opt/ignite/bin/make_tape_recovery


HTH,
Devender

[Devender Khatana]

Hi,

This was a typo and the command should be

#visudo

HTH,
Devender

[Global Service Desk]

I am having few questions..

since i am new to SUDO. i really dont know how it works ? and what are the files it is associated with etc..

can i get any details pointers to this ???

Thanks in advance !!

Regards
GOvinda G.

[Yogeeraj_1]

hi,

below a list of resources concerning SUDO that i have bookmarked

http://www.courtesan.com/sudo/intro.html
http://www.unixcities.com/sudo/

https://h20293.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/try.do?productNumber=HPUXIEXP1111

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=630557

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=102058


see also:
man sudo
man visudo
/opt/sudo/etc/sudoers.conf file.


hope this helps

kind regards
yogeeraj

[so_2]

use the following command

#usermod -u 0 -o

this will change the uid of user to "0" and that user will get super user previlage.

Thanks

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi:

Whatever you do, do *not* have accounts other than 'root' with a uid=0.

Consider what will happen if there is an account named 'govidag' that you have setup with a uid=0.

# find / -user govidag -exec rm -rf {} \;

...you thought that you were removing files and directories belonging to 'govidag'. In a manner of speaking you were --- for uid=0 which happens to be 'root'.

Regards!

...JRF...