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Re: how does root run a graphical prog



On Tue, May 21, 2002 at 12:37:34PM -0400, Travis Crump wrote:
> Carel Fellinger wrote:
...
> >I think you did `su', not `su -'.
> >
> >A mere `su' merely changes your identity, but the environment stays the
> >same.  In particular $HOME. So when you launce an X-appl, the authorisation
> >cookie is read from /home/other-user/.Xauthority, and you really being root
> >and allowed to read anything this works.
...

> I just did a plain 'su' followed by a 'echo $HOME' and got /root.  Then 

My bad:(, it's XAUTHORITY that's relevant.  Same story, different name.

> I tried to open a graphical program as root which I always thought just 
> worked and got an:
> 
> GnomeUI-WARNING **: While connecting to session manager:
> Authentication Rejected, reason : None of the authentication protocols 
> specified are supported and host-based authentication failed.

I don't know which program generates this message, doesn't look like X,
more of a Gnome thing.
 
> But the program still started and ran fine. Though if I do a 'su -' I 
> can't open a graphical program as others have said...

That's because XAUTHORITY isn't set, nor is the X-cookie merged into
root's ~/.Xauthority file
 
> I have a pretty vanilla default woody install and haven't fiddled around 
> with that much.

me too.


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