VNC session seems to have permission problem with firewall, updates, usb flash mount
 

Whilst using VNC for a normal user on a Fedora 12 installation it is unable to access/use properly the GUI firewall, GUI for updates and is also unable to mount usb drives.

It is however possible to su to root and use use system-config-firewall to access the firewall and make changes.

It is also possible to add a USB stick using root and mount -a to get devices listed in /etc/fstab to load and then be used by all users normally; again the GUI/desktop icon for the USB drive is not displayed/ available for normal users logged on using VNC remote desktops; although it is when the same user logs on to the locally connected monitor.

The Software Updates GUI is also available from the local monitor but does not work through the VNC remote desktop.

I think there may be something wrong with the way it interacts with DBUS and that there may be a policy problem, but I am not sure where to start. Has anybody else seen problems like this and have any pointers as where to go next.

Do you experience these problems if you disable SELinux?

Could be that you need to use restorecon to relabel any files that the dbus-daemon may require.

HTH
B

Thanks, Yes I thought it might be SELinux as well so I disabled this, I will take a look at the relabel option and see if anything gives.

Tried out SELinux to no avail. So I am still looking. Just to emphasise, all these functions work through a normally logged on user, but make a remote dektop session using VNC and the same accounts cannot perform these functions.

I agree it looks DBUS related and I am trying to dig into the policy settings to see if there is anything here.

this is the error message i get when trying to authenticate a normal user when accessing the firewall GUI:

org.fedoraproject.slip.dbus.service.PolKit.NotAuthorizedException.org.fedoraproject.config.firewall. auth:

Did you ever get this one figured out mick1965? I am having the same problem in Fedora 13.

You could install gksu (or kdesu for KDE) and use it in a louncher before the actual command ("gksu system-config-firewall"). It will pop up asking you to enter root password and ask if you want to remember it.

Also having this problem at the moment in Fedora 13 using VNC. I have had the policy kit come up asking me to authenticate as root on several occasions but this does not seem to happen while trying to configure the firewall or running the software updater.