Default User <hunguponcont...@gmail.com> writes: > On Sat, Jun 6, 2020, 21:19 Kushal Kumaran <kus...@locationd.net> wrote: > >> Default User <hunguponcont...@gmail.com> writes: >> >> > Hi, all. >> > >> > As an experiment, I just installed Debian 10.4 Stable on a spare drive, >> and >> > installed kde on it. >> > >> > I have not tried kde in many years, so am not really familiar with it. >> > Perhaps I am overlooking something obvious, but I can not seem to run >> > Dolphin or Konqueror as root. >> > >> > Searching online, I was astounded to see many references to this problem, >> > saying that this is not a bug, but a feature - that kde developers are >> > deliberately working to prevent users from using some programs, including >> > Dolphin as root, as a "security measure". >> > >> > So, can the current version of Dolphin in Debian Stable be run as root >> > (without re-compiling, etc)? >> > >> >> Dolphin is just checking the SUDO_USER environment variable. Just unset >> the variable before starting dolphin. Ref: >> >> https://codesearch.debian.net/search?q=Executing+Dolphin+with+sudo+is+not+possible+due+to+unfixable+security+vulnerabilities&literal=1 >> >> I have no idea what the unfixable security vulnerabilities are. >> >> > And, if not, how (and why) would anyone use kde at all? >> >> You might be overestimating the number of people who need to do file >> management as root with a graphical tool. I, for one, use plasma as my >> primary desktop environment, but almost all file management activity is >> through emacs (with tramp for root stuff), or just a shell. Until I saw >> your post, I had no idea dolphin would refuse to run as root. >> >> -- >> regards, >> kushal >> > > > > > First, to Keith: > > Yes, I vaguely remember that thread. I did briefly look through the list > archive but could not find it. > > Perhaps there is a search function for the list archive, but I am unaware > of it. > > > Second, to Kushal: > > I did look at the code you referenced. Interesting. But I am not a > programmer. > > I did try to under the SUDO_USER environment variable as you suggested. > Maybe I didn't do it correctly, but it did not resolve the problem. Dolphin > refuses to run with elevated privileges. >
Running sudo sh -c 'unset SUDO_USER; KDE_FULL_SESSION=true dolphin' from a shell gets a dolphin window. There is some advice at https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=223&t=161021#p425888 that can arrange things so that you get an action on the right-click context menu. > Anyway, for now, I can use Midnight Commander, either as sudo or as root, > to do file management of root folders and files. But it is somewhat > "clunky" to do so. > > And just to note: I do a lot of management of files and directories > requiring root privileges. > > So I guess I just got spoiled, using the nemo file manager in Cinnamon. > Just right click the Cinnamon desktop, select "Open as root", then use nemo > with temporarily elevated privileges. Then close nemo, and I am back to > the desktop as a regular user again. Easy. Sounds like you have your needs properly met with cinnamon and nemo, and they seem to be available in debian. Is there a particular reason you need to solve this problem with dolphin? I assume you could have just installed nemo and used it even while using the plasma shell as the desktop. -- regards, kushal
