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I just installed XAMPP onto Ubuntu 14.04. However, it installed itself as root instead of the user I created for this purpose. I assume that this is a BAD IDEA and would like to change this. How can I? Thanks.

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  • Do I assume correctly that you installed it while logged in as "root"? If so uninstall the software as root and then reinstall it with "sudo" command as the user.
    – LMZ
    Jan 7, 2015 at 4:33
  • No I installed it while logged in to my normal account.
    – posfan12
    Jan 7, 2015 at 5:04
  • Is this for production usage? Jan 7, 2015 at 6:39
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    "I assume that this is a BAD IDEA " using xampp itself is a bad idea so why the worries ;-) Delete it. Install our own LAMP stack and it will be set up secure by default. -> Officially, XAMPP's designers intended it for use only as a development tool, to allow website designers and programmers to test their work on their own computers without any access to the Internet. To make this as easy as possible, many important security features are disabled by default.
    – Rinzwind
    Jan 7, 2015 at 7:32
  • I should have mentioned it's for my test server.
    – posfan12
    Jan 7, 2015 at 9:46

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You usually need to enter your password (or sudo to root) in order to install things, and xampp won't be any different. It's completely normal to do that. Root privileges are needed to install services that start at boot, etc. It doesn't necessarily mean the programs / services will run as root unless they've been designed to do so. I don't think you've put yourself in any danger.

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  • I can't access my htdocs folder though.
    – posfan12
    Jan 7, 2015 at 9:47
  • That's weird. Did the installer ask you for a user to set things up as? If so, why not just uninstall and reinstall as correct user? Jan 7, 2015 at 19:04
  • It didn't ask. But I was able to change ownership of the folder and it works now. Thanks.
    – posfan12
    Jan 7, 2015 at 23:28

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