[kde-linux] Dolphin opening a text file as root with Kwrite.

[James Richard Tyrer]

Dale wrote:
> chrome://messenger/locale/messengercompose/composeMsgs.properties:
>> Anne Wilson wrote:
>>    
>>> On Friday 19 February 2010 04:24:36 Duncan wrote:
>>>      
>>>> Anne Wilson posted on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:01:32 +0000 as excerpted:
>>>>        
>>>>> On Thursday 18 February 2010 18:35:32 James Tyrer wrote:
>>>>>          
>>>>>> This is not intended behavior.  You have to stop telling people that
>>>>>> everything is OK when there is a problem.
>>>>>>            
>>>>> I was told specifically that it was intended behaviour, and the reason
>>>>> was security.  I do not deny that problems exist.  I frequently point
>>>>> out that the problem is in the user's setup, not the software.  If it
>>>>> has been shown to be a bug, I say so.  Do not mis-represent me.
>>>>>          
>>>> FWIW, I expect the lack of a shipped pre-configured kmenu and context menu
>>>> option is intended, due to deliberate (kde) choice, because yes, there are
>>>> certain security issues.
>>>>
>>>> However, it should still work when started properly from the command line
>>>> (or if the user configures a menu item appropriately), provided all the
>>>> authorization stuff is in order.  If it's not working, then either
>>>> something's broken with the authorization, or the command wasn't formed
>>>> properly due to incomplete understanding of the required authorization,
>>>> etc.
>>>>
>>>> So both of you are correct.  It's just that you're talking about slightly
>>>> different aspects of the same thing.  The choice not to ship the
>>>> preconfigured options was AFAIK deliberate and is intended behavior.  But
>>>> it should still work if the user issues the command or sets up the menu
>>>> options manually.  A breakage there would /not/ be intended behavior,
>>>> simply (deliberately) out of the scope of what's normally shipped.
>>>>        
>>> Following up on this - if I tried 'kdesu dolphin' then attempted to edit a
>>> file, I got the result reported.  However, if I tried 'kdesu kwrite
>>> /etc/fstab' I got an editable file.  Perhaps that gives you something to
>>> compare, to find what's really happening (or not).
>>>
>>>      
>> Did you try, after opening Dolphin as root, opening a Konsole with:
>>
>> 	Tools ->  Open Terminal
>>
>> and running:
>>
>> 	kdeinit4
>> ??
>>
>> Does that fix the problem?
>>
>>    
> 
> OK.  I tried this.  I opened Dolphin and tried to open a file that was 
> root only.  It failed as before.  I tried this to make SURE nothing had 
> changed or been updated since my last try.
> 
> I opened a Konsole, switched to root with su - and entered the root 
> password.  I then typed in kdeinit4 and watched a screen full of stuff 
> go flying by.  I then went back to Dolphin, which was still open from 
> before, and tried to open the same file.  It opened fine and I could 
> also edit and save the changes with no error at all.  It works just like 
> the old way in KDE 3.
> 
Actually, if you use: Tools -> Open Terminal in the Dolphin menu, you 
will have a Konsole open as root, but it works the way that you did it too.

> So, how can I make this work on a more permanent basis.  

Well, that is the question, isn't it?  When you run KDESU, it is 
supposed to automatically initialize your root session.  So, your 
question comes down to why it isn't working.  I have to tell you that I 
don't know.  If you are using a distro, it is possible that this is a 
distro specific problem.

-- 
James Tyrer

Linux (mostly) From Scratch