Mand 2008 does not allow root logins from the GUI.
How can I access files not available to normal users without having to go through the command prompt? Specifically I need to extract a zip file on a partition that has been mounted with the root account. Using the su command in the command prompt does not reflect in the file manager, and there is not option to use the file manager in Super user mode as well.

A) What is wrong with going through the command prompt?
B) You can have a root filemanager. Create a new desktop or panel icon for it and in properties -> advanced, select run as another user. Then enter root as the user. Now you can start it as root. Another open is to run "kdesu konqueror". A root filemanager can be a dangerous thing.
C) This all wouldn't be necessary if you didn't mount the partition as root, or allowed "others" access or saved the zip file someplace else where regular users can access it.

js :
1. Nothing wrong. Just more inconvenient, than point and click.
2. Thank you. If it is so easy, Mand could have included it like PCLinux.
3. I am unable to mount the partition as normal user. I get a message that only root can do it.

What is this partition? Is it an external drive, or perhaps a second hard drive added to your computer? What is the filesystem used? If you have root access, and the partition is a formatted with a Linux native filesystem, then you can use "sudo chown <yourusername> /path/to/partition/" to make yourself the owner of the mounted partition. Be sure that the partition is mounted before doing this.

If it is an external drive, with a filesystem such as FAT32, then you can add certain options to the /etc/fstab entry to give regular users or just yourself read/write access.
Add "uid=<your_username>,gid=<your_defaultgroup>" to change the ownership when the filesystem is mounted. An alternative is to add the options "dmask=000,fmask=111". This will mount the filesystem with rw access for everyone.

Running a graphical filemanager as root is in my opinion a bit too dangerous. The root user should just be used for administration tasks such as editing /etc/fstab or installing a package. Using the terminal or the MCC configuration programs should be enough.

From the kmenu -> Run -> kdesu konqueror. You can use the kmenu editor to add this command as a menu item.
Or install openasroot-kmenu (it's in contrib), then you can open a folder in a root konqueror by right-clicking and selecting Actions -> Open as root.

As has been pointed you can do serious damage to your system with just a click or two of the mouse when running konqueror as root. Personally, I use a contrasting colour scheme whenever I'm running a GUI app as root, just as a reminder.

Jim

Sorry I see that most of what I've suggested has already been recommended. I should read more carefully.

jkerr: Yours is a little different. Maybe the OP will find your kmenu editor tip more convenient.

Js: The earlier post (tip B) worked for me, which is why I thanked you. Your second post's tip - sudo etc etc is too challenging for me. The "add uid etc etc" is not an option at all.
The last point you made in the second post is of interest and oft repeated. But, I am yet to find any reason on WHY it is too dangerous. Can you elaborate on the reasons for the advice?
I had faced a problem in Mandriva where almost every time the system booted it would find something wrong with the file system and do an fsck. I was using the root account all the time. Could this be one symptoms of the dangerthat you are referring to?
In general I have found that Linux checks files more frequently than Windows (checking here refers to the fsck or chkdsk routines that are run at boot time due to the OS finding some fault with a partition). Any hints on why this is the case?

jkerr: Thanks for the openasroot tip. I was just complaining about the lack of this facility in almost all distros except PCLinux. I would also appreciate your comments on the points I raised in the previous paragraph.

You should be able to do the majority of your work as a normal user. If a partition allows only root access, then concentrate on changing that so that you can use that partition as a normal user. Root is able to do anything, and a mistake as root could mean you have to reinstall. Also, if you run normally as root and access the internet, a cross site vulnerability would be more dangerous because a hacker may be able to get root access and own your computer.

I must confess to sometimes using "su -". Appending to a system file like:echo >>/etc/hosts "192.168.1.105 hpmedia" is a lot easier because redirection occurs before the "sudo" command (as a normal user) and the alternatives are a bit cumbersome. Also sometimes I will use a number of consecutive commands as root, so using "su -" to work as root is more convenient than preceding every command with "sudo".

I think that the only file I have in root's home directory /root is an nvidia driver installation scripts. I need to run the script as root in run level 3. So I'll log in a root from the virtual terminal if I need to re-install the nvidia driver. Otherwise, I'll use YaST2 or use "sudo" in an open konsole.

If the filesystem wasn't shut down cleanly, then fsck will run the next time you boot. Otherwise it will do so every 20 or so boots. I actually tend to leave my computer on. I use the desktop as an NFS file server & MySQL server for amarok. But most of the time I'm in the Living Room on the couch with my laptop. Leaving a computer on isn't recommended if you have a Pentium IV machine. That would really generate a lot of heat.

js : Most of what you said was too cryptic for me, but the "own your computer" did ring a bell.

In MCC > Local disks > Manage disk partitions, select the Toggle to expert mode button (bottom center), then select the partition you need to access and finally select the Options button (left pane) to change the options for the partition. The option you need is usr_xattr. Also if this is an ntfs file system, you should check that Type is ntfs-3g. If it is not, unmount the partition and change the type to ntfs-3g. MCC will download the needed packages and install them for you.

Mandriva 2008.1 (Spring) - final has been released. ntfs-3g is the new default for ntfs file systems. You may be better served to install the spring release which includes many improvements. I am using it here and it works better than any recent release I have used.

HTH,

As I just commented on another thread, I have been flamed since probably 2000 about logging in as root. I was told all the bad things that would happen via root, and how dangerous it was, I really could not find much in the way of bad things that happened that would not also happen via su. In fact, most who said it was dangerous had never done it, therefore had never really seen anything bad happen.

Root does reduce security to the level of Windows, which is accepted by 90% of computer owners n the US. It is worse when you are online. And, root does make it possible for a Linux virus or trojan to attack your machine. I have one such malware file somewhere on my HD. It came via spam mail from the Former Soviet Union, and it asked for my password when I clicked on it. [EDIT]Line removed by moderator.[/EDIT]

I will say learning how to do things without logging in as root should be a long-term goal.


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