Re: Distros specifically designed for children

At Wed, 21 May 2025 23:22:36 -0000 (UTC) CtrlAltDel <Altie@BHam.com> wrote:

 
On Wed, 21 May 2025 18:29:59 -0400, David W. Hodgins wrote:
 

On Wed, 21 May 2025 16:17:43 -0400, CtrlAltDel <Altie@bham.com> wrote:
 

Are there any Linux distros, other than Ubuntu, that are designed just
for children to use?
>
With the refusal of Ubuntu to allow one to run an account as full admin
at all times, it is known to be designed primarily to be safe for
children to use.
>
Are there any other Linux derivatives out there with these robust types
protections?  If a child knows how to type nautilus admin:/ into
terminal,
they can bypass all of the protections for which Ubuntu was created.

 
Mageia does not let you log in as root when using the gui, but there is
nothing stopping you from switching to a text login, suc as using
alt+ctrl+f3 and logging in as root there. After login, root can then run
"startx -- startkde" or " startx -- startgnome" as desired.
 
For wayland, the commands are XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland dbus-run-session
startplasma-wayland and XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland dbus-run-session
gnome-session
 
While I agree with blocking root login through the gui, I don't agree
with blocking it for text login.
 
Does ubuntu really block root login even in run level 3, aka
multi-user.target or in a text login screen?
 
Regards, Dave Hodgins

 
I'm really not sure, as I haven't examined Ubuntu that thoroughly. 

Many *modern* Linux distros this in the /etc/shadow file:

root:*:19696:0:99999:7:::

This means that the password for root is disabled.  There is nothing stopping
one from using sudo to set a regular password for root, eg:

sudo passwd root
sudo password: ********
new password: *******
retype password: *******

But by default a fresh install has no shell login for root.  (root is not
"/bin/nologin", since that would totally break the system.)

OTOH, it is generally possible to type this to get a root shell (NOT
RECOGMENDED in general):

sudo /bin/bash
sudo password: *******
# whoami
root


I don't know if it is possible to make either of the above *impossible*. 
OTOH,  creating an account for a child *without* sudo privs is quite possible
and probably advisable.  This is doable on any Linux system.

 
Here:
 
https://i.imgur.com/n79Klbb.jpeg
 
is how easy it is to do it in Mint.  Right click in your file manager and
select open as root.  Done!

It will do this without asking for a password? From *any* account? It should
be noted that the first / default account that the installer creates will have
sudo privs and is presumed to be the "adminstrator" / "owner" of the machine.
(It really should *still* ask for a password for that option.) If I were
setting up a computer for a child, I would *always* reserve the "owner"
account for myself for admin and maintaince purposes and create another
account for the child to use which would NOT have sudo access.

                                                                                   
 

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