NuxIT wrote:Hi Paul. Actually I always use the su - command for using root. I only made the change in .bash_profile to my user account that I created because it didn't recognize commands when opening terminal. I'm pretty sure this should be fine since it's working for me. I didn't modify the root's .bash_profile. Regards, Chris
Wow - that's really weird. I read what you did, but totally transposed it in my mind. What you did is safe, per se.
BUT
Part of what I was saying is true, though. Generally, programs in the /sbin directory are not supposed to be accessed by normal users. They're supposed to be reserved for administrators - i.e. root - only.
From
http://www.linfo.org/sbin.html/sbin is a standard subdirectory of the root directory in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems that contains executable (i.e., ready to run) programs. They are mostly administrative tools, that should be made available only to the root (i.e., administrative) user.
also
/sbin is similar to /bin, which contains executable programs needed to boot (i.e., start) the system, except that /sbin's programs are normally executed only by the root user. Thus, /sbin is by default not in the PATH environmental variable of ordinary users, but it is for the root account.
It's unfortunate that those programs allow normal users to execute them. Either they should be root only and in the /sbin directory, or they should be for all users, and in /bin or /usr/bin.
So - yeah - you're not in danger since you still have to be root to do any damage with them. But - it's unfortunate that you have to do this. It should be thought out better from the Linux side.
Cheers,
Paul