LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] Is there a way to run Dolphin as Root?

- Linux - Software (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/)

- - Is there a way to run Dolphin as Root? (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/is-there-a-way-to-run-dolphin-as-root-4175619213/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by davcefai (Post 5937159)

Since my previous post I have switched 3 PCs from debian to Devuan and from KDE to XFCE4.

It looks like Debian has been "taken over" by people who have forgotten that free software is supposed to give you the freedom to choose. Their latest move has been to forcibly impose systemd. The package systemd-shim has been withdrawn from circulation and a lot of packages have a dependency on systemd.

KDE have also autocratically prevented some programs from running under root.

I have found Devuan and XFCE quite adequate and gradually improving. The forcible conversion to systemd on debian is the last straw. I now find my server, which is still Debian, more difficult to manage than a Windows machine. So next week that will change.

Leaves only a Raspberry pi and my wife's PC running Debian. The pi is dedicated to being part of my music system so I'll leave it alone. The wife isn't bothered so unless something happens her PC will stay on Debian Stable.

The question I asked originally was "Is there a way to run Dolphin as root". The answer is now "No, somebody is actively working to prevent it."

The solution is ditch KDE and Debian as they have moved away from the spirit of software libre.

The ability to run Dolphin as root was re-enabled by KDE earlier this year.

https://phabricator.kde.org/D12732

With my current Debian testing and Dolphin 18.08, I su to root in command prompt and paste the command below and hit enter, you can switch out the word "dolphin" for kate or kwrite if you want to open an editor as root.

Code:

pkexec env DISPLAY=$DISPLAY XAUTHORITY=$XAUTHORITY KDE_SESSION_VERSION=5 KDE_FULL_SESSION=true dolphin

Thanks for the replies. However having made the change I am reluctant to go back and anyway it seems that I will still have to jump through hoops to work how I want to.

Moreover I feel that there will always be a cloud over Debian and KDE because what's to stop other disruptive changes being made?

When one needs to take "creative" measures to circumvent other measures then it is time to consider making a change. KDE has become so big and inefficient that I find XFCE to be a breath of fresh air. Systemd still has the potential to greatly damage Linux. It is a major change which has been badly implemented and breaks the spirit of "The Unix Way"

My transition started with the Dolphin-as-root problem, which I could have simply solved by switching to another graphical environment. However the forcible introduction of systemd pushed me to Devuan. The maintainers have a right to do what they want to. However users have the right to use what suits them. If anybody hasn't noticed it now seems impossible to use Sysvinit in Debian. Systemd updates have removed systemd-shim and overwrite /sbin/init with a link to systemd.