![]() ![]() Though a standard user profile in Linux can be adjusted to have various permission levels, it's common practice to escalate privileges into the root profile to perform administrative tasks. A default Linux install will have standard user profiles, a root profile (the system administrator), and various system users and groups depending on what applications are installed. Linux does have a concept of user groups, but these perform slightly different functions in Linux. Very few administrators in an organization will have super-admin privileges with permissions to adjust everything on a computer while techs will have a normal admin profile. In an enterprise environment, it's common for there to be admin profiles and super-admin profiles. This can't be further from the truth, though. It's common for someone to think that just because they have admin access in Windows that they can do everything on a computer. This concept confuses a lot of newer IT administrators and help desk techs. Those permission levels can be changed per profile or account. Those three types of account profiles are nothing more than profiles with common permissions pre-configured for them. Windows, by default, has three user account profile types: These profiles and permissions designate what kinds of tasks can be performed in an operating system. Operating systems have user profile permissions or capabilities. ![]() All operating systems have admin profiles. Linux doesn't have the concept of an administrative account like Windows. Standard user accounts in Linux cannot perform administrative tasks, at least not by default. This can prevent malware from doing things like automatically installing software on a computer. By requiring input from a user to escalate privileges, the OS can prevent malware from making changes on that system. Locking certain tasks behind user privileges is also a security measure, too. The responsibility of security and maintenance is then passed from the OS itself to the system administrator. It is assumed by these OSs that if a person can escalate privileges in an OS then they must be an administrator and they know what they are doing. Meanwhile, system administrators are still capable of performing the complex system administration tasks required to keep computer systems up and running. This lets normal users access and use a computer to get a job done without being able to break that computer. Modern operating systems give systems administrators a way to secure the OS through a means of user accounts and privilege levels. So, operating systems like Linux and Windows require escalated privileges before those components can be changed. Editing those components can cause issues like preventing a computer from starting properly, disabling services, damaging hardware, or causing security issues. There are a lot of parts to a computer system that can be dangerous to work with. Let's discuss how you escalate privileges in Linux and why you would want to. In Linux, escalating privileges is a very deliberate act. So much so that a lot of entry-level IT professionals don't even realize that just because they have an admin account doesn't mean that they still don't need to escalate user permissions to perform administrative tasks in Windows. Windows can be a lot more forgiving when you need to perform an administrative task. The Windows UAC prompt makes escalating privileges easy. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.There comes a time in every administrator's life where you need to escalate privileges in Linux. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. ![]() Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. ![]()
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