how do I launch programs as root under my login?

joutlancpa · 04-18-2009, 11:50 PM

and not get this:

Code:

bash-3.1$ su
Password: 
bash-3.1# thunar
No protocol specified
Thunar: cannot open display: 
bash-3.1#

I'd like to keep it that way, i.e. fakeroot or whatever

thanks!

C-Sniper · 04-19-2009, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thezoid

and not get this:

Code:

bash-3.1$ su
Password: 
bash-3.1# thunar
No protocol specified
Thunar: cannot open display: 
bash-3.1#

I'd like to keep it that way, i.e. fakeroot or whatever

thanks!

IF you are trying to open a windowed program try the 'sudo' command. Just make sure that you are in the /etc/sudoers file

Drakeo · 04-19-2009, 01:16 AM

In slackware you need to run it through the run command I tested it for you.

Quote:

kdesu thunar
then put your password in at the prompt.

rg3 · 04-19-2009, 04:03 AM

If you don't want to use kdesu because you're running xfce, you could run this:

As a normal user, to give permissions to other local users (like root) to use the X server:

Code:

xhost local:

As root, setting up the display environment variable and launching a program:

Code:

export DISPLAY=:0
thunar

Woodsman · 04-19-2009, 01:41 PM

As mentioned, the traditional method is to use su or sudo. This works well for command line tools but not always with GUI tools.

For GUI tools, perhaps the following will help:

Using the Konqueror File Manager With Root Privileges

The how-to is KDE-centric, but the principles should apply to other desktops.

joutlancpa · 04-19-2009, 02:57 PM

thanks...I'll look at that link in depth...oh yeah, how do I add myself to etc/sudoers? sorry, still in a learning phase...

shadowsnipes · 04-19-2009, 04:08 PM

there's also gksu as a non-kde alternative

w1k0 · 04-19-2009, 04:24 PM

Mine /etc/sudoers looks like:

Code:

Defaults    timestamp_timeout = 0

User_Alias  FULL = thezoid
User_Alias  PART = w1k0

Cmnd_Alias  KILL = /bin/kill, /bin/killall
Cmnd_Alias  HALT = /sbin/reboot, /sbin/halt, /usr/local/bin/suspend
Cmnd_Alias  PRINT = /usr/bin/lpr, /usr/bin/lpq, /usr/bin/lprm

root ALL =  (ALL) ALL

FULL ALL =  NOPASSWD: KILL, HALT, \
                      PRINT

PART ALL =  PASSWD:   KILL, HALT, \
            NOPASSWD: PRINT

To edit yours use command visudo.

joutlancpa · 04-19-2009, 04:49 PM

thanks...I uncommented my sudoers file using VI, uncommented two lines so it all works now....thanks for the assistance.

Peacepunk · 04-19-2009, 09:31 PM

Hi there;

My simplest, fastest way to do it without fiddling with DISPLAY or /etc/sudoers is as follows:

Quote:

su -c '<nameofexecutable>'

the -c here of course refers to command, see su --help for details. Don't forget to surround your actual command with ''s.

So, in real life, if I want to get thunar as root for some bossy file management, it makes:

Quote:

su -c 'thunar'

And it's nice at that because it displays a big red banner reminding you of your granted powers

AFAIK this is distro agnostic, works for me with Slack 12.2 and lots of Fedora's.

Cheers

Jean-Philippe

joutlancpa · 04-19-2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by w1k0

Mine /etc/sudoers looks like:

Code:

Defaults    timestamp_timeout = 0

User_Alias  FULL = thezoid
User_Alias  PART = w1k0

Cmnd_Alias  KILL = /bin/kill, /bin/killall
Cmnd_Alias  HALT = /sbin/reboot, /sbin/halt, /usr/local/bin/suspend
Cmnd_Alias  PRINT = /usr/bin/lpr, /usr/bin/lpq, /usr/bin/lprm

root ALL =  (ALL) ALL

FULL ALL =  NOPASSWD: KILL, HALT, \
                      PRINT

PART ALL =  PASSWD:   KILL, HALT, \
            NOPASSWD: PRINT

To edit yours use command visudo.

I think I'm going to edit my sudoers file more like yours...right now it's just sudo this and sudo that...no password needed....who knows

joutlancpa · 04-19-2009, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peacepunk

Hi there;

the simplest, fastest way to do it without fiddling with DISPLAY or /etc/sudoers is as follows:

the -c here of course refers to command, see su --help for details

So, in real life, if I want to get thunar as root for some bossy file management, it makes:

And it's nice at that because it displays a big red banner reminding you of your granted powers

AFAIK this works anywhere, anytime, and is distro agnostic.

Cheers

Jean-Philippe

Jean...I can't get that to work on my machine like that ? don't know why (yet) ...thanks

Peacepunk · 04-19-2009, 10:09 PM

?? I've got both my slack 12.2 box running Enlightenment DR16 and my wife's Fedora10-gnome lappie right in front of me doing it, and I can't remember for how long I have used that trick... Precisely, using thunar as my rootly powered file manager for when I need to...

the only trap here is not to forget the ' - how do you call that in english?

can you post the output of su --help ? maybe you have a strange/tweaked version...

[I'll update my post to make it less definitive then, sorry about that]

Cheers
J.-Philippe.

joutlancpa · 04-19-2009, 10:40 PM

yes...here is that output Jean:

Code:

bash-3.1$ su --help
Password: 
GNU bash, version 3.1.17(2)-release-(i486-slackware-linux-gnu)
Usage:	/bin/bash [GNU long option] [option] ...
	/bin/bash [GNU long option] [option] script-file ...
GNU long options:
	--debug
	--debugger
	--dump-po-strings
	--dump-strings
	--help
	--init-file
	--login
	--noediting
	--noprofile
	--norc
	--posix
	--protected
	--rcfile
	--restricted
	--verbose
	--version
	--wordexp
Shell options:
	-irsD or -c command or -O shopt_option		(invocation only)
	-abefhkmnptuvxBCHP or -o option
Type `/bin/bash -c "help set"' for more information about shell options.
Type `/bin/bash -c help' for more information about shell builtin commands.
Use the `bashbug' command to report bugs.
bash-3.1$

bgeddy · 04-19-2009, 11:08 PM

The problem appears to be when you boot into runlevel 4 - i.e. into X. I always boot into runlevel 3 and run startx to run KDE. I also use su -c to run anything I like in X and it works fine. As an experiment I changed my default runlevel to 4 and booted into X. The problems thezoid is having then happened to me too. KDESU still worked as it always does - I don't like sudo so didn't bother setting that up.

Seems like booting into runlevel 4 is missing out on setting some environment variable in Slackware but I haven't looked into it as I prefer to boot to the cli. Maybe something in /etc/profile or /etc/profile.d/ is causing the difference. Possibly startx itself sets something but as I say I've not really looked into it.