how to su in X ?

hottdogg · 05-15-2006, 01:06 AM

Sorry for stupid question.
how to make root run GUI app while in other user's X ?
(basically is how to su for X environment)

I use KDE.

redhatrosh · 05-15-2006, 01:11 AM

I think, you can open a konsole in KDE using the Run window and typing "konsole".
Then, you can type "su" and it would prompt for the password. That's it...you are in!...

I hope, this is what you have been looking for :-?

gbonvehi · 05-15-2006, 01:45 AM

You have to give other users permission to access your X server. Most people use xhost to do it, in KDE there's a easier alternative called kdesu

Old_Fogie · 05-15-2006, 02:09 AM

this is from eric / alien bob in a reply to my on compiling kernels a few days ago:

Quote:

echo $DISPLAY # you'll be needing this value 3 lines below
sudo -i # or "su -" on older Slackwares
xauth merge ~alien/.Xauthority # use your own username here instead of "alien"
export DISPLAY=:0.0 # use the value of DISPLAY you've seen 3 lines before

many things in the "K-menu" you can right click put in run dialog and then check off run as different user and click ok then fill in root pass. not all work tho.

bye for now.

con · 05-15-2006, 10:24 AM

kdesu, I use it all the time!

hottdogg · 06-15-2006, 12:03 PM

I can't find kdesu in my system.

Quote:

I think, you can open a konsole in KDE using the Run window and typing "konsole".
Then, you can type "su" and it would prompt for the password. That's it...you are in!...

I hope, this is what you have been looking for :-?

not really. For example, i can't run konqueror from konsole using su. but
gvim can, although I don't know if the gvim that run from su has root priviledge or not. Maybe some X apps can be run from su while others can't.
CMIWW

I asked because often i want to use konqueror with root priviledge without have to login as root like rename file, delete file,etc. That dialog box about you-don't- have-permission thing has made me iritated.

Yalla-One · 06-15-2006, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hottdogg

I can't find kdesu in my system.
For example, i can't run konqueror from konsole using su.

If you have a standard slackware installation, kdesu is at /opt/kde/bin/kdesu

It allows you to do just what you wanted - to run konqueror and other X applications as superuser without logging into X as root.

From a puristic point of view, I cannot help but point out that I in general terms recommend against running any app as superuser in X unless absolutely necessary. If you wish to remove/move files, I would do it in terminal by mv / cp commands etc...

-Y1

cwwilson721 · 06-15-2006, 01:28 PM

There are some builtin KDE options too.

Look at 'K'>'System'>'More...' . There is superuser terminal in there, along with super user file manager.

But as an additional question:
I use Xfce, and how do I 'browse' as a su in a gui?
(I have many mounted remote nfs volumes, and need su privs to change things.)

As stated thoughout this thread, it is as easy as pie in KDE, but what about xfce?
Any ideas?

MannyNix · 06-15-2006, 05:02 PM

i know this is a stupid thing to do, but if you really wanted to:
type xhost +
become root
start your application
(again, not recommended and posts above are way better options)

cwwilson721 · 06-15-2006, 05:05 PM

No way to do it in gui (like KDE)? only cli?

MannyNix · 06-15-2006, 05:27 PM

my bad, i was trying to answer to 1st post, please ignore my post above. sorry

magesing · 07-15-2006, 11:08 AM

there is a wrapper for su called sux... you can get it from apt, synaptic, yum or whatever package management system your distro uses if you don't already have it installed.

in a terminal 'sux' will transfer display privalages to the user you are switching to. so open your terminal of choice (xterm for me),issue the command 'sux', enter your root password when prompted for it, then run whatever graphical program you want.