Feb 27 2003
Ever Wonder what that Root Thing Is?
Have you ever been enjoying a few beers out with your signifigant other and his/her computer geeks pals when they started talking about ‘Root’ access? Has this always confused the hell out of you? If so, here is a really nice explanation of what Root is on Unix operating systems like Linux in terms anyone can understand:
“In contrast, Unix systems are designed for multiple users. Like an apartment building, many people can be using the system at the same time. Because of this, only one person — or a few select people — are given permission to make changes that affect the whole system. While a tenant can turn off the lights in his living room, a super can shut off power to the entire apartment complex. Of course, there would have to be solid justification to do so. By using root access appropriately, super users can keep their “apartment computers” running smoothly.”
