This has been nagging me for a while; I don't want to log in and startx as root but I have come across a few game [and other] installers which require an x based gui to run. At the moment, when logged in as a normal user I like to run installers from a su'd terminal but as soon as the aforementioned installer[s] is run I get the error:

bash-2.05b# source setup
bash-2.05b# Initialising files
Extracting archive from CD
Uncompressing archive
If you do not see a popup window, then please simply
untar the files in the install directory and read the
appropriate README files
/tmp/.tuxrtcwsetup/setup.run: line 46: xhost: command not found
Xlib: connection to "localhost:0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

or similar. sometimes it screen:0.0 which I cannot connect to as root.

where's my popup? boo-hoo!!!
is it something to do with /etc/hosts? any help would be greatly apreciated.

It has to do with Xauth, and it's a quite
sensible default. Ways around it ...

1. the insecure method:
As user, type
host +localhost

As root:
export DISPLAY=localhost:0.0

2. a better (and reasonably easy) approach
If ssh is running (and configured properly)

As normal user do
ssh -X root@localhost <installer>


HIH


Cheers,
Tink

here's what I get:

bash-2.05b$ cd /mnt/dvd
bash-2.05b$ ssh -X root@localhost source setup
root@localhost's password:
bash: line 1: setup: No such file or directory
bash-2.05b$ pwd
/mnt/dvd
bash-2.05b$ ssh -X root@localhost source /mnt/dvd/setup
root@localhost's password:
./setup.run: ./setup.run: No such file or directory
bash-2.05b$ ls
README install packages setup setup.2.1 setup.run splash.gif util
bash-2.05b$

hmm... this is not the first time I tried it. The first time I did this it asked me if I was sure if I wanted to add root to a list [oops, can't remember which list! sorry] so I think it works...
But as you can see in the above text, I don't think root is working in the same directory as the user
Is there some documentation you can point me towards please [man Xauthority doesn't Xist!]
many thanks.

If the command you want to start on the
remote machine takes parameters you need
to enclose the whole command in double quotes...

And if the setup doesn't live in roots home
or his path you need to provide the full
path, too.


Cheers,
Tink

this works!!

$ ssh -X root@localhost cd /mnt/dvd && source setup

thanks again for all your help Tink :~]

edit: there is still a minor problem; I can install the link to /usr/local/bin but have no write permissions for /usr/local/games. I can therefore only install the game into my /home/user directory.... I'll get there in the end

edit2: I'll could always temporarily change the write permissions for /usr/local/games, but we both know that's cheating :lol:

Pleasure mate ... as for the permissions: I don't
understand why root shouldn't have write permissions.

And what I meant with inclusion was this:

$ ssh -X root@localhost "cd /mnt/dvd && source setup"


Cheers,
Tink

I konw what you mean, but when I tried that I got this:

bash-2.05b$ ssh -X root@localhost "cd /mnt/dvd && source setup"
root@localhost's password:
Initialising files
Extracting archive from CD
Uncompressing archive
If you do not see a popup window, then please simply
untar the files in the install directory and read the
appropriate README files
/tmp/.tuxrtcwsetup/setup.run: line 46: xhost: command not found
Xlib: connection to "localhost:0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified
Unable to connect to display localhost:0.0
/tmp/.tuxrtcwsetup/setup.run: line 48: 1833 Segmentation fault /tmp/tuxsetup $PWD
/tmp/.tuxrtcwsetup/setup.run: line 50: xhost: command not found
bash-2.05b$

.... whereas when I do it the "un-included" way: <------no pun intended!

bash-2.05b$ ssh -X root@localhost cd /mnt/dvd && source setup
root@localhost's password:
bash-2.05b$ Initialising files
Extracting archive from CD
Uncompressing archive
If you do not see a popup window, then please simply
untar the files in the install directory and read the
appropriate README files

I get that ^ and the installer pops up ... strange that I can't install to where I want it though... nevermind eh.
I think I'll cheat the system this time, rules are made for breaking!

[don't tell Linus I said that ]


edit: you don't think it's a bug do you? I mean I don't realy know what I 'm dealing with here - but as you say: I sould have root privelages in a secure shell such as this and be able to read and write anywhere.