Windows vs *nix security

[javacontour]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
The one thing linux lacks is granular privileges; it tends to be all or nothing. Role based access control (RBAC) one way to handle this, but probably not as trustworthy as VMS's privileges.



RBAC is part of Solaris, FWIW.

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
Actually one CAN do some pretty significant damage to the OS if one has root access.


rm -rf / ought to count as "damage", eh?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
rm -rf / ought to count as "damage", eh?


Oh yes. Dragging most of one's C: drive into the trashcan and emptying it would count, too, I suspect, and was accomplished without explicitly granted root access.

Aside from security concerns, Windows could do with a bit of tweaking to protect people from their own stupidity. Granted, Vista and 7 are better in that respect.

 

[javacontour]

I was teaching Solaris SA for Sun years back and I had a student who created a root equivalent user, with a home directory of /

At the end of the lab, he deleted the user. When asked if the home directory should be deleted as well, he affirmed that dialog.

He got the bonus lab of re-installing his system.

 

[uc50ic4more]

Coincidentally, this article just appeared at Distrowatch: http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20100719#qa

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Coincidentally, this article just appeared at Distrowatch: http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20100719#qa


Yep, that's about right. Ubuntu can handle those functions through the GUI. Since I'm the only one that uses my computer, I don't have to administer users other than myself, so it's really not an issue.