[sf-lug] I need your Linux thoughts!

[David Rosenstrauch]

On 04/19/2013 11:41 PM, John F. Strazzarino wrote:
> A work project...
>
> A very small number of our customers use Linux and one of them is having an issue.
>
> Here's what needs to be done:
>
> 1) We need to remotely log into their computer. Computer is in Salt Lake City.
> 2) We need to issue a few commands on their system.
>
> Here's the challenge:
>
> 1) We have NO idea (NO idea) which version of Linux (or Unix) they are using.
> 2) We'll have to assume that they person in front of the computer is not at all computer-literate..
> 3) We don't know what additional software is on the computer

I suggest:

* use SSH to remotely admin
* assume SSH is already installed.  (As someone else wrote already, it 
probably is.)
* send them a list of commands to run as root which will create a login 
for you that can sudo to root.  e.g.:
	useradd -p your_password your_user_name
	groupadd admin
	gpasswd -a your_user_name admin
	echo "%admin ALL=(ALL) ALL" > /etc/sudoers

After that you can login remotely and have full admin privs.

Only possible complication here is if they don't know their own root 
password.  (Or they only know how to login as another user, which 
doesn't have sudo rights.)

HTH,

DR