cannot use pkgtool unless root

khronosschoty · 07-12-2014, 06:09 PM

Hey can I add the ability to use pkgtool with sudo?

astrogeek · 07-12-2014, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by empcrono

Hey can I add the ability to use pkgtool with sudo?

It will work for sudo user, nothing to "add" except that you will need to use the full path, or append /sbin/ to the user's path.

Code:

sudo /sbin/pkgtool

Or

export PATH=$PATH:/sbin
sudo pkgtool

kingbeowulf · 07-12-2014, 07:19 PM

IMHO, I wouldn't use sudo; esp. not the generic config that ships with Slackware. You might have issues with some packages not installing correctly. pkgtool etc, as well as the packages themselves (esp. if they have a doinst.sh script) assume a fully root environment. Use "su -" to log into a root evironment.

Alien Bob · 07-12-2014, 08:06 PM

Try "sudo -i pkgtool" to allow sudo to initialize root's login environment before executing pkgtool.

Eric

astrogeek · 07-12-2014, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien Bob

Try "sudo -i pkgtool" to allow sudo to initialize root's login environment before executing pkgtool.

Eric

Yes, that will cause pkgtool to run with the full root environment, but I think you must still use the full path to pkgtool or it will not be found if /sbin is not in the user's PATH.

I am in Slackware 12.1 at the moment, and this works as I have noted in the past:

Code:

sudo -i pkgtools
-bash: pkgtools: No such file or directory

sudo -i /sbin/pkgtools
(works)

That has never made sense to me.

UPDATE: - On the other hand, I agree with others that for package management in particular, you should just su - to root, which is my own habit... (did you ever wish that you had not made a quick reply to a particular thread?...

)

ReaperX7 · 07-12-2014, 08:55 PM

I would recommend just using an "su terminal" session. Sudo is not a good replacement for running root admin applications like pkgtool.

kingbeowulf · 07-12-2014, 09:04 PM

A pox on "sudo"....

Alien Bob · 07-12-2014, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrogeek

I am in Slackware 12.1 at the moment, and this works as I have noted in the past

Yeah well Slackware moved on, and so did sudo. Please try it again on something like Slackware 14.1, you will notice the difference.

Eric

astrogeek · 07-13-2014, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien Bob

Yeah well Slackware moved on, and so did sudo. Please try it again on something like Slackware 14.1, you will notice the difference.

Eric

You are right, of course.

I keep my long-term use 12.1 instance intact since moving everything to 14.1. It is a live archive of projects that do not need to be, or cannot be updated. I happened to be working in there when I posted and remembered that particular quirk... should have kept quiet until rebooting.

Thanks