Question

linux

1. To install packages you will need root privelages. To temporarily perform an action with root privileges you use the sudo command demonstrated in item 6 below. In your own words, explain the purpose of the sudo command and why sudo is a better choice than logging in as the root user.
2. Make sure your package listings are up to date by running the following command.

$sudo apt-get update

When this command is done you will see a line that says how much data was fetched. Paste that line here.

Now describe what apt-get update does? Why is this important?

Answer 1

The sudo command allows the user to run a command as a superuser. Using sudo is better than logging in as a root user, as :-

1. sudo can be setup with a complex security policy, allowing each user on the system varied rights.

2. The root credentials can be kept private instead of having to be shared to multiple users everytime they need to do an administrative task.

3.The authentication that sudo provides expires very shortly, allowing for a much more secure machine if the user leaves it unattended.

"Fetched 1286 kB in 3s (377 kB/s)"

sudo apt-get update command downloads updated package lists from all the repositories that you currently use on your machine, updating their dependencies. This essentially allows your machine to keep a track of the newest updates for the packages on it, and allows the user to update them whenever they wish. It is important to run sudo apt-get update before you install a package as omitting to do so may lead in the user downloading an outdated package.