Bug 27854

Summary:	Cannot open apps as root in XFCE
Product:	Mageia	Reporter:	Alejandro Simón <alejandrodsimon>
Component:	RPM Packages	Assignee:	Mageia Bug Squad <bugsquad>
Status:	RESOLVED WORKSFORME	QA Contact:
Severity:	normal
Priority:	Normal	CC:	lewyssmith, ouaurelien
Version:	Cauldron
Target Milestone:	---
Hardware:	x86_64
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Source RPM:	xfconf	CVE:
Status comment:

Description Alejandro Simón 2020-12-16 18:21:06 CET

Description of problem:
In XFCE, is impossible to open certain apps as root (Mousepad, Parole)

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
Mageia 8_beta-2

How reproducible:
Every time I call apps as root with su

Steps to Reproduce:
1. su
2. mousepad
3. See the rejection

Comment 1 Aurelien Oudelet 2020-12-16 19:40:42 CET

Hi thanks reporting this.

I will say you never, never, run "su" as is.
See:https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Never_use_just_su

You must use "su -". The latter character is "minus" sign.

Also, you should append mousepad by a dbus-launch command:

$ su -
Password:
# dbus-launch mousepad

Also running software as superuser is not there recommanded way.

CC: (none) => ouaurelien

Comment 2 Lewis Smith 2020-12-17 11:00:17 CET

I second Aurélien's advice. Certainly almost never use a graphical application as root (unless they are designed as such and ask for a password, like MCC, rpmdrake, isoDumper) - which is why some of them do not allow it.

You can of course always use the command line as root, and indeed often have to for doing system things. But it is mostly better to put yourself in the 'wheel' (sometimes 'sudoers') group, and do anything that requires root privileges by:
 $  sudo <command>

Re that '-':
If you just do bare 'su', you stay in the directory you were in.
If you use 'su -' you go to /root

CC: (none) => lewyssmith

Comment 3 Alejandro Simón 2020-12-17 12:32:37 CET

(In reply to Lewis Smith from comment #2)
> I second Aurélien's advice. Certainly almost never use a graphical
> application as root (unless they are designed as such and ask for a
> password, like MCC, rpmdrake, isoDumper) - which is why some of them do not
> allow it.
> 
> You can of course always use the command line as root, and indeed often have
> to for doing system things. But it is mostly better to put yourself in the
> 'wheel' (sometimes 'sudoers') group, and do anything that requires root
> privileges by:
>  $  sudo <command>
> 
> Re that '-':
> If you just do bare 'su', you stay in the directory you were in.
> If you use 'su -' you go to /root

Thanks!!

Comment 4 Lewis Smith 2020-12-17 20:44:46 CET

Good, you seem satisfied, closing this accordingly.

Resolution: (none) => WORKSFORME
Status: NEW => RESOLVED