- 2072 Asoj · 2+3 marks
System administration; special vs general user
Short answer
System administration is the management of an organization's computer systems, including installation, configuration, security, and user support. The special user (root or Administrator) has unlimited privileges with UID 0, can access all files, kill any process, and administer the system, whereas a general user has restricted rights limited to their own files and permitted resources, reducing potential damage from errors. Administrators should use root only when necessary and ordinary accounts for daily work.
What is system administration? How is a special user different from a general user? Explain.
System administration
System administration is the work of managing and maintaining the computer system and network of an organisation: installation, configuration, user management, security, backup, monitoring, performance tuning and user support, so that the system runs reliably and securely.
Special user vs general user
A special user is the super-user (root in UNIX/Linux, Administrator in Windows) with unlimited privileges. A general user is an ordinary account with limited rights.
| Point | Special user (root/administrator) | General user |
|---|---|---|
| Privileges | Complete control over all files, processes, devices | Limited to own files and permitted resources |
| UID | 0 in UNIX | Non-zero (e.g. 1000) |
| Files | Can read/write/delete any file | Only own files and those permitted |
| Administration | Add/delete users, install software, mount disks, change system configuration | Cannot do these |
| Processes | Can kill any process | Only own processes |
| Risk | A mistake or attack can damage the whole system | Damage limited to own area |
| Use | System administrator, only when needed | Everyday work |
An administrator should use the root account only for administrative work and a normal account otherwise, following the principle of least privilege. In UNIX, su and sudo give temporary root rights.
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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