disabling root and olpc passwords

[Mikus Grinbergs]

The 2008-1-12 OLPC News says "... so that we can finally disable the 
root and olpc passwords".

The way I have my G1G1 system set up (I have no wireless) I *need* 
to ftp in.  For that, I have set a password for olpc.  It would be 
ok with me to set up a different user+password for ftp, but would 
*not* be ok for password support to be "disabled".

Also, I don't believe in the "political correctness" of not using 
root.  I do need to install/remove/change things as root, and 
*strongly* prefer not to use 'sudo' for that -- I log in as root, 
and am willing to take the risk of committing a disastrous mistake. 
  Here, too, having a password seems "natural" to me.

I agree with the aim of making the OLPC simple to use, but please 
don't take passwords away entirely.

mikus


p.s.  I presume the existing 'passwd' command was taken from Fedora. 
  It is too paranoid, forbidding too_short passwords, 
too_homogeneous passwords, too_similar passwords, etc., etc., etc. 
Such rules may be needed for a datacenter - but for a schoolroom?