how to exit the system. In later chapters, we'll go into more detail on
these topics and introduce you to the Debian graphical interface, X11.

First Steps

After you quit dselect, you'll be presented with the login: prompt. You
can now log in using the personal login and password you selected; your
system is now ready to use. Let's examine what it means to log in and how
this process works.

To use Debian, you must identify yourself to the system. This is so it
knows who you are, what you have permission to do, and what your
preferences are.

To this end, you have a username or login. If you installed Debian
yourself, you should have been asked to give such a name during
installation. If you are logging on to a system administered by someone
else, you'll have to ask him for an account on the system and a
corresponding username.

You also have a password, so no one else can pretend to be you. If you
don't have a password, anyone can log on to your computer from the
Internet and do bad things. If you're worried about security, you should
have a password.

Many people prefer to trust others not to do anything malicious with their
account; hopefully your work environment doesn't encourage paranoia. This
is a perfectly reasonable attitude; it depends on your personal priorities
and your environment. Obviously a home system does not need to be as
secure as a military installation. Debian allows you to be as secure or as