Re: How to gain control over the system?
Did you remember to reconfigure sudo? What Desktop Environment are you
using?
On Sat, 2017-07-08 at 23:57 +0200, Kaj Persson wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Anyone having an idea how to get back the command over my desktop,
> including the panels? Until two weeks ago I ran Debian 8 ("jessie"),
> but
> after a unsuccessful clean-up operation the whole system became
> totally
> corrupted, and I decided to to a complete new install of the new
> Debian
> 9 ("stretch") and Mate (which I was using in jessie too). I was
> using
> the live DVD put on a memory stick. All went fine, and the system
> started without problems. I was happy to notice that I could now use
> the
> Nouveau driver for the screen. Until now I have had to use the
> nVidia
> driver certainly without problems, but it is good being able to use
> free
> software.
>
> But now I discovered an issue, I cannot manage my desktop. I have
> always
> at the previous installations, and they are quite many now, been
> advised
> to, for security reason, leave the root password unset, which causes
> the
> root account go passive, and for all tasks where I need root
> authority I
> go via su/sudo. It has always worked fine, and this using su/sudo
> still
> does. But I cannot control the panels, I have two of them, one on
> top
> intended for icons of my most used programs, as a kind of favourite
> menu, and one at bottom where the active programmes appear as
> buttons.
> The bottom panel is working mostly as I want, but I cannot add new
> apps
> to it, e.g. the window switch, I used to have. And I cannot add the
> program icons to top panel. Via a right click on a program menu item
> I
> have the option "Put this to the panel" (well, possibly not the
> correct
> words, this is a home made translation from my Swedish version),
> but,
> when trying to select that, nothing happens.
>
> However the related options to save icon to the desktop works fine,
> and
> I can also sort the icons to what I find useful, but it does not
> survive
> a cold start. All the icons come back in some kind of default order,
> which I have not been able found out. It is at least not alphabetic.
>
> So can someone help me get the command back, or do I have to make a
> new
> reinstall, hoping for better luck. Possibly setting a password on
> the
> Admin, hence activating that account, which I would prefer not having
> to.
>
> Thank you in advance
> Kaj
>
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