6.2. The Superuser Account

The superuser account, usually called root, comes preconfigured, and facilitates system administration, and should not be used for day-to-date tasks like sending and receiving mail, general exploration of the system, or programming.

This is because the superuser, unlike normal user accounts, can operate without limits, and misuse of the superuser account may result in spectacular disasters. User accounts are unable to destroy the system by mistake, so it is generally best to use normal user accounts whenever possible, unless you especially need the extra privilege.

In addition, always double and triple-check commands you issue as the superuser, since an extra space or missing character can mean irreparable data loss. Those extra privileges you needed when you decided to change to the superuser mean that the safeguards of your normal user account no longer apply.

So, the first thing you should do after reading this chapter, is to create an unprivileged user account for yourself for general usage, if you haven't already. This applies equally whether you're running a multi-user or single-user machine. Later in this chapter, we discuss how to create additional accounts, and how to change between the normal user and superuser.