[CentOS] unprivileged users rebooting at console

Mon May 6 14:25:15 UTC 2013
David G. Miller <dave at davenjudy.org>

Cliff Pratt <enkiduonthenet at ...> writes:

> 
> How are you rebooting? What groups are you in? From the command line? When
> I try this on Ubuntu (don't have a RHEL/CentOS here) I get "Have to be
> root" if I issue the /sbin/reboot command as an ordinary user.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
<SNIP>
Odd combination of systems to check right now but:

1) Fedora 18 (Xfce respin) VM console: Applications -> Logout -> Shutdown

2) Fedora 18 (Xfce respin) VNC session to native install: Above combination
is greyed out.  I can only logout.  But if I go to the physical system and
log in, I get the ability to shut it down.

3) Scientific Linux 6.4 console (roughly equivalent to CentOS 6.4):
Applications -> Logout -> Shutdown

4) All of the above: CTRL-ALT-DEL key press although I have to send the key
combination to the VM through the KVM GUI.

5) Power button or reset button.

6) Power cord.

The last two options are why someone with physical access also has the
ability to shutdown a system.  Also, I run Linux on my laptop and would find
it very annoying not to be able to shutdown the system when I need to.

Cheers,
Dave