how come iOS doesn't let users login as root?

[dxyovak]

My friend is telling me that in order to edit the hosts file on an iPhone I would have to jailbreak the phone. Isn't there some way to simply login as root (like on linux where you can sudo such and such to temporarily be root)?

If I jailbreak an iPhone and edit the hosts file, can I then "unjailbreak it" and still have use of my edited hosts file?

I don't understand why iOS isn't allowing user to make changes like editing the hosts file.

 

[Intell]

iOS doesn't allow it because there is no need to edit system files like that. That's why jailbreaks exist.

 

[Nyy8]

To answer your other question no, You would need to install something like iFile to edit the filesystem, then keep it jail broken for the changes to stay.