This is the
most crucial decision point for the security of your GNU/Linux
system: you must enter the root
password.
Root
is the system administrator and is the
only user authorized to make updates, add users, change the
overall system configuration, and so on. In short,
root
can do everything! That's why you must
choose a password which is difficult to guess: DrakX tells
you if the password you choose is too simple. Depending on the
security level you chose, you're not forced to enter a password,
but we strongly encourage you to do
so. GNU/Linux is just as prone to operator error as any other
operating system. Since root
can overcome all
limitations and unintentionally erase all data on partitions by
carelessly accessing the partitions themselves, becoming
root
must be
difficult.
The password
should be a mixture of alphanumeric characters and at least 8
characters long. Never write down root
's
password — it makes it far too easy to compromise your
system.
One caveat: don't make the password too long or too complicated because you must be able to remember it!
The password won't be displayed on screen as you type it. To reduce the chance of a blind typing error you have to enter the password twice.
You can change the way users are authenticated on your computer by clicking on the button. The following authentication methods are available:
Local file. Use a local file for all authentication and user information. This is the default method.
LDAP. Use an LDAP server for some or all authentication needs. An LDAP directory consolidates certain types of information within your organization.
NIS. Authenticates users against a NIS domain. This allows you to run a group of computers in the same NIS domain using a common password and group file.
Windows Domain. Uses a Windows® domain controller to provide authentication services through Active Directory, Microsoft's implementation of LDAP.
If you select a method other than Local file, you are asked to provide some parameters which vary from one method to the other. If you don't know those parameters, you should ask your network administrator.