Just started using Debian on VirtualBox (using the pre-made image from VirtualBox also).

It's quite good. I can use apt-get or synaptic to update/download packages.

Just quick question, how can I run the File Browser (from menu Applications, System Tools) as sudo/root without logging in as root?

Also, is there a nice folder diff/compare tool... like I right-click on one folder to "Select Left Compare"... then right-click another folder to "Select Right Compare"?

you can create a custom .desktop file in /usr/share/desktop that starts your file manager (nautilus?) via e.g. gksu.

You can run almost any application as root by running the command "gksudo application." So for example; Nautilus file manager it'd be "gksudo nautilus" and pcmanfm it'd be "gksudo pcmanfm." Or gksu if sudo isn't installed on your system.

You can create a launcher for it in many places, just use that command for the launcher.

If you use Nautilus you might try the package nautilus-compare or the package kompare.

gksu will ask you for your password or the password for root (administrative password).

gksu is also not real well supported development wise now. Been pretty much abandoned for authentication and is no longer installed by default.

The preferred command uses polkit for authentication and is "pkexec". That should work in a command for any launcher or custom menu entry with any DE as installed by default.

I would give you an example of a launch command but I am a grumpy geezer and, in spite of the above caution, I install gksu and use it.

I am going to be reviewing this policy though because a recent package upgrade for polkit made me go look at the config file;
/etc/polkit-1

I found it was quite different than the last time I looked at it (2+ years). At that time there were user configurable entries for each application using it for authentication. You could easily change the authentication from "admin" to "none" for anything. This struck me as unhygenic security wise. This was plastered all over the web particularly one the Ubuntu Forums.

Now those are not there and if you want to change the configuration you need to hunt up the proper wording and syntax to do so. This strikes me as a big improvement and has the advantage of being in a currently supported authentication agent.

If I remember correctly, and if you create a launcher for, say, synaptic or gparted you should be able to see the command that uses, the command is very similar to that used if you are using gksu.

Great information widget, thanks for posting!

Just in reply to this, gksu actually is installed by default on my installation of Debian with Mate desktop. It is also installed by default on Linux Mint I know.

I took a look at my launchers and they are "synaptic-pkexec" and "gparted-pkexec".