Use "kdesu" in KDE

[Polytropon]

On Sat, 11 Apr 2015 21:55:16 +0100, Mike Clarke wrote:
> On Saturday 11 Apr 2015 21:14:12 Polytropon wrote:
> > On Sat, 11 Apr 2015 21:03:12 +0200, Matthias Apitz wrote:
> > > Hmmm:
> > > 
> > >
> > > $ kdesu date
> > > sh: kdesu: not found
> > 
> > Thanks for verifying! Interesting that it's not part of
> > KDE anymore...
> 
> It's still there - /usr/local/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu
> 
> curlew:/home/mike% pkg which /usr/local/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu
> /usr/local/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu was installed by package kde-runtime-4.14.3
> 
> I think it's  in libexec because it's not normally expected to be invoked from 
> the command line but is utilised by the menu editor and ALT+F2 when you tick 
> the box to run a program as a different user.

That's the exact description. You're right - in normal use
cases, you don't invoke kdesu manually. That's why its presence
in libexec is not a surprise.

And you probably provided the answer the OP didn't directly
ask for: Alt+PF2 opens the "Run..." dialog, and _that_ dialog
can be used to launch a Terminal for root. Similarly, the
KDE file manager has some kdesu integration for "browse as
root" or "perform deleting action as root".



> > > But, who needs 'kdesu' is you have a terminal, xterm, ... and 'su'
> 
> Kdesu enables you to open new windows as root without needing to mess with 
> xhost or .Xauthority. Useful for running things like wireshark.

Exactly, that's what I thought about. Similarly, a terminal
can be opened that way - if you want to perform command line
actions (such as for updating the system, installing packages
or other things that require root access).

Still there is the convenient (and IDE-independent) way of
using "su -m" in a terminal, and then starting programs, even
GUI programs, without having to deal with "lower level X
permissions". :-)

However, it's _still_ required that the user who should be able
to do those "high power tasks" has to be added to the correct
group, "wheel", as explained. From that point on, he has the
choice about what way to become root is the preferred one.


-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...