-2

Why are there applications which don't allow you to run them as root user?

For instance, you can't run steam as root.

javier_domenech
  • 101
  • 1
  • 1
  • 13
  • read this thread http://askubuntu.com/questions/299294/how-do-i-give-root-privileges-to-an-app – JoKeR Jun 02 '15 at 21:32
  • in addition if you really need to run an app as a root run it from terminal with `gksudo` – JoKeR Jun 02 '15 at 21:36

1 Answers1

1

Running applications as the root user presents several serious security risks. This is why the root account is not enabled for log in by default, and all actions which need escalated privileges are performed via usage of sudo.

You should not log in and run applications as root. Doing so gives total access to your machine, to the application you are running, and if it so chooses to be malicious, can thus steal or modify any data on your system.

dobey
  • 40,344
  • 5
  • 56
  • 98
  • I know what you mean but that doesn't answer the question, I know why you shouldn't do it but not why you can't. It's like the same application doesn't allow you to use it. Is then a security measure or a trustful sign from the application side? – javier_domenech Jun 02 '15 at 23:07
  • 1
    If you want to know why `steam` in particular won't run as root, you should ask Valve. It is not Open Source software, so I can't see the code where it denies such access, and infer why it does this. For any open source application, it should be self-evident in the code why it doesn't run as root. My answer though is correct, and is the general reason why you can't run applications as root. If you want specific answers about specific applications, it's best to ask the developers of those applications. – dobey Jun 03 '15 at 02:45
  • ok, don't take it bad. Of course it's correct. I simply want to k now the reason – javier_domenech Jun 03 '15 at 06:29