[Beowulf] Definition of HPC

[Nicholas M Glykos]

<snip>
> > Running as root?  Yeah, its that bad.  Just say no.
> 
> Are you setting yourself up as arbiter of who should and
> who should not run as root?  Please - respect those of us
> who have the capabilities, experience, and juice to do so
> (when cirumstances demand it).
</snip>

I think that what both Joe and Jim indirectly said is that capabilities 
and experience may not (and should not) suffice for granting root access 
to general users of a central facility shared by many people and 
departments. And to my mind this is good and healthy professionalism. 
The only people that should ever have the (unforgettable) experience of 
making mistakes as root with central facilities should be the appointed 
administrators, no one else. In the same way you wouldn't allow a general 
user to override the safety interlocks of an X-ray generator, you 
shouldn't allow root access to the general users of a shared computing 
facility.

My twocents,
Nicholas


-- 


            Nicholas M. Glykos, Department of Molecular Biology
     and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus,
  Dragana, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece, Tel/Fax (office) +302551030620,
    Ext.77620, Tel (lab) +302551030615, http://utopia.duth.gr/~glykos/