Single user mode is a mode in which a multiuser computer operating system boots into a single superuser. It is mainly used for maintenance of multi-user environments such as network servers. Some tasks may require exclusive access to shared resources, for example running fsck on a network share. This mode can also be used for security purposes - network services are not run, eliminating the possibility of outside interference. On some systems a lost superuser password can be changed by switching to single user mode, but not asking for the password in such circumstances is viewed as a security vulnerability.
Mac OS X
Mac OS X users can accomplish this by holding down Command-S after powering the system. The user may be required to enter a password set in the firmware. Single User Mode is different from a Safe Mode boot in that the system goes directly to the console instead of starting up the core elements of Mac OS X (items in /System/Library/, ignoring /Library/, ~/Library/, et al.). From there users are encouraged by a prompt to run fsck or other command line utilities as needed (or installed
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows provides Recovery Console, Last Known Good Configuration, Safe Mode and recently Windows Recovery Environment as standard recovery means. Also, bootable BartPE-based third-party recovery discs are available.
Recovery Console and recovery discs are different from single user modes in other operating systems because they are independent of the maintained operating system.
Unix family
Unix-like operating systems provide single user mode functionality either through the SystemV style runlevels or to the BSD style boot-loader options.
Run levels are usually changed using the init command, runlevel 1 or S will boot into single user mode.
Boot-loader options can be changed during startup before the execution of the kernel. On FreeBSD and DragonFly BSD it can be changed before rebooting the system with the command nextboot -o "-s" -k kernel. On Sun Solaris it can be changed with the command reboot -- -s.
Pointers are an extremely powerful programming tool. They can make some things much easier, help improve your program's efficiency, and even allow you to handle unlimited amounts of data. For example, using pointers is one way to have a function modify a variable passed to it. It is also possible to use pointers to dynamically allocate memory, which means that you can write programs that can handle nearly unlimited amounts of data on the fly--you don't need to know, when you write the program, how much memory you need. Wow, that's kind of cool. Actually, it's very cool, as we'll see in some of the next tutorials. For now, let's just get a basic handle on what pointers are and how you use them. What are pointers? Why should you care? Pointers are aptly name: they "point" to locations in memory. Think of a row of safety deposit boxes of various sizes at a local bank. Each safety deposit box will have a number associated with it so that you ca...
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