5.2 Passwords and accounts

The installer asks you for the root password. ``Root'' means administrator in Linux. If this is a production system, you need to use a strong password. However, for homework assignments and as a test system, you can use a relatively weak password.

You have to enter the password twice to make sure you type what you think you typed.

Next, the installer asks you for the actual (full) name of a non-root user. This user will become the recipient of system messages. Just enter any name you wish. The next screen asks you for the username. Although Linux does not impose much limitation, it is conventional to use names that are 8 characters or less. You can use a combination of alphanumeric characters and the underscore.

You also have to specify the password for this non-root user. Again, if this is a production system, use strong passwords. It is generally a bad idea to use the same password for ``root'' and this user.