Whats the correct answer for user name?

[Catalyst Elite]

I have read about running as root and all that stuff.
I am new to linux, and bt4.
Please just straight up tell me, should i create a new user?
and how would i do so?

[lupin]

Thats up to you to decide. The Backtrack Developers have designed BackTrack to be run using the root user. Myself personally, when I install BackTrack to a system to use as its main Operating System, I add a non privileged user and use that for my regular use of the system. When I run it from a USB stick or DVD, I run as root (even when I customise that DVD/USB).

The benefits of running as a non root user are that its more difficult to accidentally destroy your system using a mistyped command line entry, and malware, exploits or other attacks on your main account wont be able to gain as deep a foothold on your system. This is following the general good practice of "least privilege" . New users may find that running this way takes a bit of getting used to however - you need to understand when root privilege is required, and how to appropriately use it via tools such as su, sudo, kdesu, etc.

How do you do it? Search. There is a HowTo on the forum that covers this.

[Catalyst Elite]

I am dual via windows 7 split 60% 40% bt4.
so i use windows for regular use.
and would you know what the title of that thread would be because i cannot for the life of me find it.

[aeternus]

Running as root is sweet with this distro because everything works with root, but may not work under another username.

[lupin]

It's right here.

[t1nm@n]

login to your root account in bt

Kmenu > System > Users and Groups >

in that choose add user and u know the rest.

[clutch]

I use a non-privileged user for normal day to day use and su - when I need to use tools that require root. However, this is only because I have a very small harddrive (40gigs) and don't feel like cutting it even smaller by dual-booting.

For most normal situations (ie, normal people who have nice big normal harddrives), I would suggest using BT4 from the root account and dual booting another OS for your day-to-day stuff. BT wasn't really intended for watching movies and hanging out.

[sickness]

I use a non-privileged user for normal day to day use and su - when I need to use tools that require root. However, this is only because I have a very small harddrive (40gigs) and don't feel like cutting it even smaller by dual-booting.

For most normal situations (ie, normal people who have nice big normal harddrives), I would suggest using BT4 from the root account and dual booting another OS for your day-to-day stuff. BT wasn't really intended for watching movies and hanging out.

Yes you are right on that one but for users who want to use it as primary OS and don't want to dual boot it's best to add a non-privileged user. I personally run only root even tough it is my primary OS and haven't had problems with it yet.

[Encrypted_Soldier]

Root is the same thing as and Administrator account in Windows. Also if you are new to linux I suggest using a more user friendly Linux distro such as Ubuntu which BT is based off of.

[Barry]

Root is the same thing as and Administrator account in Windows. Also if you are new to linux I suggest using a more user friendly Linux distro such as Ubuntu which BT is based off of.

Root is more like the System user in windows.