From: Gordon@leaf.net.nz   
      
   On 2025-10-24, s|b  wrote:   
   > On Fri, 24 Oct 2025 14:54:46 +0100, Chris Elvidge wrote:   
   >   
   >> You're installing Mint, right?   
   >   
   > Yes, Linux Mint 22.2 Cinnamon 64-bit.   
   >   
   >> You specify your username during the install. As it happens this will   
   >> make a directory under /home with your username as its name. E.g. I   
   >> specify 'chris' as my username and get a directory /home/chris as my   
   >> home directory. You also have a user root with home directory /root.   
   >> This is standard. That's your user without root access and your user   
   >> with root access.   
   >>   
   >> As an added 'bonus' Mint will also allow your user (chris) access to   
   >> root via sudo. Any users added after that will not have sudo access   
   >> until and unless you provide it (see visudo) but this is not usual   
   >> unless you are envisaging a multiuser system.   
   >>   
   >> You can use user chris for autologin, it you want to.   
   >   
   > But this user can access root via sudo you just said. Isn't it wise then   
   > to autologin with an added user that doesn't have sudo access? If such a   
   > thing is possible.   
      
   The rule is one login as, chris in this, case and when you can not do   
   something that to wish to do you all upon root. This is done with the sudo   
   command.   
      
   As to help file says "execute a command as another user".   
      
   So you have sudo  to get the job done if you can not do it as   
   chris, a normal user.   
      
   A user does need root powers to get some things done, but it is all too easy   
   to mess up with root powers, and most session go fine with not sudo being   
   required.   
   >   
   >> According to your original post your boss, logged in as root, changed   
   >> the directory name under /home from (e.g.) chris to Chris - linux is   
   >> case sensitive, unlike Windows, so chris and Chris are different. Also   
   >> changing the name of a home directory does not change the username. So,   
   >> as I explained above, you cannot log in as Chris and expect anything to   
   >> work - bad password - as user Chris is not in the password file, and   
   >> /home/Chris is also not in the password file, so logging in as chris   
   >> will not find a home directory, and will default to /, where you can't   
   >> do anything remotely useful.   
   >   
   > I've understood that now. In Windows, messing with c:\users\* will cause   
   > problems as well.   
   >   
   >> So log in as chris and use sudo (superuser do) to get access to the root   
   >> user's account, if necessary.   
   >>   
   >> The answer: don't use user root unless you know what you're doing - it   
   >> will break something.   
   >   
   > We've learned that the hard way. But it's not an answer to my question:   
   >   
   > Can I install, create a user with root access with no autologin,   
      
   Yes, Just follow the instructions on the install screen if Mint install.   
   Chris will need to login upon startup and the sudo powers will be avaliable   
   ti Chris via the sudo.   
      
   Get it into your head to go carefully, sudo does not ask any questions,   
   espically the Are you sure type?   
      
   then   
   > create a user with no root access with autologin? If so and I want to   
   > access the root account, how?   
      
   Why would you?   
      
      
   > Autologin (no root), then sign off and   
   > switch user?   
      
   Logout (Not shut down) from the desktop and then log in with the new user.   
      
      
      
   > Or are there other ways?   
   >   
   > I can test this myself now, but I'd rather ask instead of breaking   
   > something again.   
   >   
      
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