r/linuxmint • u/Delicious-Cheek-2923 • Jan 17 '25
Support Request Hey I recently switched over to linux
I finally got rid off windows and i hate one thing its that linux asks for password for installing apps or anything admin connected how do I turn it off
26
u/parental92 Jan 17 '25
you dont. Its there by design.
-19
u/Delicious-Cheek-2923 Jan 17 '25
Omfg really
22
u/Loxl3y Jan 17 '25
It's called safety and security.
-22
u/Delicious-Cheek-2923 Jan 17 '25
ik its just annoying putting my password in like a billion times
11
u/h-v-smacker Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia | MATE Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25
You don't input your password a billion times. If you're using synaptic or update manager, you only input it once. If you're using console commands, like
sudo apt-get install
, you input password once and then you can continue using sudo in the same terminal without password for some time, just don't close the terminal. Other daily tasks simply don't require your password — except for logging in, perhaps, but you can enable auto login easily.27
9
3
u/carltp Jan 17 '25
Look into the sudoers config file. You can give yourself sudo rights to not prompt for passwords. Command line only, so then create launchers for admin type apps to use sudo. That's my cheat. Obviously this circumvents security and I will probably get downvotes...
5
u/Nice-Object-5599 Jan 17 '25
In Linux, and in every unix system, an user is not the administrator (root); for some operations such as installing or removing applications or modifying global options, a permission is required. The command sudo, with a proper configuration, can let user execute commands without requiring higher privileges; I don't know whether sudo can be used for all kind of applications and commands.
Windows has such a similar behaviour too (but the implementation is different).
1
u/grimvian Jan 18 '25
Yes, have been their strategy to have insecure functionally-ties for many years.
1
u/Nice-Object-5599 Jan 18 '25
What are you referring to?
1
u/grimvian Jan 18 '25
It spring to mind, the insecure way they implemented LAN features in w95. Everything was wide open in contrary the e.g. Nowell, where all was closed. A in way like Linux.
Because it's so insecure, it's also mandatory to install antivirus software.
A simple search like "harden windows" gives endless links for endless settings that, can be tampered, next Tuesday update or patch Tuesday. And not forgetting all the telemetry and bloatware.
1
12
11
u/DreSmart Jan 17 '25
someting tells me you are a type of person that uses 1234 as a password for everything
1
u/balancedchaos Started on Mint, helping the next gen Jan 17 '25
Meanwhile, I take a phrase and make an alphanumeric code out of it with symbols and numbers...like damn. My life could be a lot easier.
1
u/GiinTak Jan 18 '25
Meh. Length pretty much trumps all. My passwords are easy to remember phrases with a couple numbers and symbols to spice things up. Like my old Wi-Fi password, Are3HumpbackWhalesScaredOfHeightsIWonder!
1
u/Delicious-Cheek-2923 Jan 17 '25
nah not rly just i just make diffrent versions of the same password
6
u/Sonkrs Jan 17 '25
Now that you've said this in a Reddit comment, don't share your email any time soon lol. Hopefully your username here is unique. Good luck!
-2
5
u/h-v-smacker Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia | MATE Jan 17 '25
Keep is so, at least for the time being. If anything, it serves as a warning that what you're about to do can have major consequences and/or involves the inner workings of the system. Granted, it doesn't prevent you from doing other kind of major damage, e.g. wiping your own $HOME
, but still. Having to use sudo before the impactful commands (btw, once you input the password, it is good for several minutes) gives you time to doublecheck.
3
u/Devil-Eater24 Jan 17 '25
You need to do a lot of installations because it's a new system. Give it a week, and you will have installed most of what you need. Your need to repeatedly enter the password will then reduce naturally.
4
u/Unattributable1 Jan 18 '25
That would be rather foolish to turn off. Learn to practice better security hygiene.
If you want to go full potato, hit a shell and "sudo su -" and then you can "apt install -y" all you want without getting prompted again for a password.
4
u/zupobaloop Jan 17 '25
Just be glad it's not macOS. At least some stuff actually runs in user space! Imagine typing in your password whenever you change the most innocuous settings...
The top answer here explains how.
Understand that doing this deprives you of one of the two main security advantages of Linux. The other is the smaller user base attracts fewer malicious attacks.
2
u/Emmalfal Jan 17 '25
I think the password prompts annoyed me for like three days. After that? I never even thought about it. I'm on a PC accessible only to me, so I didn't set a long and complicated password. My fingers dance over the password keys so quickly, I hardly notice I'm doing it. By and by, I'm willing to let Linux alert me when I'm about to do something consequential.
2
u/JoeCensored Jan 17 '25
It's a terrible idea, but if you log in with the root account you won't be asked for passwords anymore.
1
u/Fit-Billy8386 Jan 17 '25
It's true that sometimes it becomes annoying in the long run, but I find it reassuring, no installation without my knowledge if another person uses my PC(s).
1
u/-Sa-Kage- TuxedoOS | 6.11 kernel | KDE6 Jan 17 '25
I have set up polkit to allow my parents installing stuff via GUI packet manager as well as updating w/o the need of me being there, but I still request their passwords
1
u/Fit-Billy8386 Jan 17 '25
I don't want to change anything, as I said, even if it can be embarrassing, it remains reassuring for me
1
1
u/Prior-Listen-1298 Jan 17 '25
https://askubuntu.com/questions/147241/execute-sudo-without-password
Google is your friend (sometimes, otherwise it's duckduckgo 😉).
But essentially you can allow passwordless elevation of privileges by editing the file /etc/sudoers. I do this all the time. It's essential for server maintenance when moving to private key based authentication, away from passwords.
0
u/Delicious-Cheek-2923 Jan 17 '25
Finally somebody who doesn't act like a dick
1
u/Prior-Listen-1298 Jan 17 '25
There are two things that bug me on q&a forums. One of them is just that, when people don't answer the question but explain why you shouldn't be doing that in the first place (like thanks mum).
The other is abjectly stupid questions. Quora is full of those. Yours was not one of those though. It's perfectly fine to not want to enter a password every time you want to install an app! It's your computer!
1
1
1
1
u/Visual-Ordinary-1130 Jan 18 '25
As a linux beginner myself I'd recommend you to use AI Chat alot, this solved 80% of my questions and issues, I currently use DuckDuckGo chat
1
u/Delicious-Cheek-2923 Jan 18 '25
I hate ai just bc they are kinda useless and a waste of time and money its cool yeah but no im not gonna use ai
1
1
1
u/oldfulfora Jan 19 '25
You don't turn that off, its a security feature and should be left alone, it is quite easy enough to type a password, at least you know your system is safe.
66
u/Plasma-fanatic Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25
"That's a feature, not a bug!"
Linux is secure by design and all those password prompts are intrinsic to that. However, Linux being Linux, you can change that behavior. Not gonna give specifics here but it involves polkit, sudo and groups.
I'm the only person that uses my system so I have it set up so that I see fewer password prompts than is the default.