What is Debian noroot?
Debian noroot is a hardened version of the Debian GNU/Linux distribution designed to run without root privileges. It builds on Debian's reputation for stability and security by removing the root account and running everything as a non-privileged user.
Some key features of Debian noroot include:
- No root account - The root account has been deleted, forcing all programs and users into an unprivileged environment.
- Advanced security hardening - Various kernel security protections are enabled, and the attack surface is reduced by removing unnecessary packages and services.
- AppArmor support - It ships with AppArmor enabled to provide mandatory access controls on programs.
- APT package management - Uses the same APT package management as Debian, giving access to thousands of pre-built packages.
- Stable releases - Follows Debian's Stable release cycle, with long term support and infrequent updates focused on security and reliability.
Debian noroot trades some convenience for greatly improved security, as running without root makes privilege escalation attacks much harder. It brings the stability and vast software ecosystem of Debian to security-focused Linux users.