Starting vlc-0.9.0 as root

[ivoire]

Sounds difficult on windows as using different profile isn't really easy, maybe better on VIsta ?
Whereas on linux that's natural to run as normal user.
Maybe for vista we can draw a message...

[ARD]

removing the "option" is down right MS. I ran into this problem tonight after updating my little box in the den that is used for movies / tv. I am not going on a rant etc... I ended up installing MPlayer.

*goes and check if his toaster is running as root.

[i_magic]

Just did an update on 2 of my gentoo boxes and... that's right... vlc won't run anymore... and yep.... I use root logon...

I've been using root logon since I can remember myself [as a linux guy]. I honestly tried several times switching to another logon, but getting fed up with having to type in root password every time I need to change something, i went back to root. gentoo by its nature is a distro which you get to tweak things to your liking, which is why I chose it.

Anyhow, I appreciate you adding --enable-run-as-root option, but if I may suggest, this option should be changed to --disable-run-as-root and should be off by default

My 2 cents on subject of security:
It should be done on a distro level as a centralized approach and not on each individual application level. I guess Ubuntu would be a good example, where they do everything possible to make it unnecessary for people to log in as root and you have to sudo every time you wanna do something destructive
Similarly, enterprise level OSes (RHEL, SEL, CentOS, et al) use things like SELinux or such.
As for rest of us mortals, we should just be left to our own devices with self-destruct button engaged

I bet my life that prolly 90% of computers infected by botnets run Windoze and not linux. So it would make more sense to disallow running vlc on Administrator accounts on 'doze. [ /me thinks, aw man, I can imagine havoc this will cause... ]

But then again, that's just my 2 cents.

All in all, I think vlc is awesome. I tried a host of other players and I think vlc is the best. I was very happy to see 0.9.6 show up in gentoo portage, as it has support for Dirac codec. Thanks guys and keep up the good work!

TJ

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Well, since more and more Windows users are switching to easy distributions (who said Ubuntu) and have no clue what that can mean, I am afraid it is a no.

I am bored of repeating myself here...

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

The root option is meant for embedded users, where rebuilding the package is not an issue. And even there it's arguable. Afterall, it's always a matter of doing your work properly so you don't need root, such as grant the user access to the relevant device files, and of course not storing the media files in a root only directory.

We will not allow root by default. It is irresponsible and counter-productive. Full point.