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Because Linux is a multi-user multi-tasking operating system, similar to Unix you must log into the system. The login system provides a certain degree of security by preventing unauthorized people from accessing your files. It also provides access to the system. Your login must be unique. You can have multiple logins for different purposes. If for example, you were using you Linux system for accounting, you might want a separate username for doing payroll, so you might have a login called payroll.
Remember that Linux is case sensitive. So ``JOE'' is not the same as``joe''. Loging in verifies who is logging on to the system, and sets up and ``environment'' for the user. We'll cover environments later. If you login incorrectly, the system will not tell you that you typed in a wrong username or password. It will only return ``login failed''.
When you first boot a Linux system, a banner is displayed, identifying the system. You may see something like the following information.
Red Hat Linux release 9.0 (Shrike)
Kernel 2.4.20 on an i686
localhost login:If you type in your username, you get the following:
password:If it is set up, the Message Of The Day (motd) will be displayed. You might also see a message from the system ``you have mail in /var/spool/mail''. How to retrieve mail from the system is not a part of this tutorial, so you'll have to read elsewhere, for that information. You type in your password correctly and you get the following:
localhost $This is the ``prompt''. If you entered you username, or your password incorrectly, you will be greeted by:
Login incorrect
localhost login:Don't panic, try again. Likely you either mis-typed either your login name, or your password. Try again. You're not logging in as root, are you?