This isn't a matter of security, but rather of stability. Your
system will run much better if it can keep you from making mistakes.
You may find the su command more convenient than logging in as root. su
allows you to assume the identity of another user, usually root unless you
specify someone else. (You can remember that su stands for Super User,
though some say it stands for Set UserID.)
Here's something to try. Log on as yourself - that is, not as root. Then
your session will look something like the one in Figure 4.1.
When you're doing system administration tasks, you should do as much as
possible as yourself. Then use su, do the part that requires root
privileges, and use the exit command to turn off privileges so you can no
longer harm anything.
You can use su to assume the identity of any user on the system, not just
root. To do this, type su user where user is the user you want to become.
You'll have to know the user's password, of course, unless you're root at
the time or the user has no password.
Figure 4.1: Sample session with su
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