On Thu, Aug 27, 2015 at 12:29 PM, Nico Kadel-Garcia <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> On Thu, Aug 27, 2015 at 9:08 AM, Tom H <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>> On Mon, Aug 24, 2015 at 6:54 PM, ToddAndMargo <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>>>

>>> I can run anything as a regular user but not my apps

>>> as root.  I am sure a reboot will fix this, but

>>> is there a way to fix this without rebooting?

>>>

>>> This started after I fired up two VM's in KVM

>>>

>>> # leafpad smb.conf &

>>> [1] 16905

>>> [root@localhost samba]# No protocol specified

>>> leafpad: Cannot open display:

>>>

>>> # echo $DISPLAY

>>> :0.0

>>

>> You need to specify XAUTHORITY=

>

> Doing a "sudo" or "su" to run things as the root user can also clear

> your individual user X settings, as can using ssh to access the local

> system as a root user if you do not allow X forwarding.



Whether using su or sudo, you can set DISPLAY and XAUTHORITY to those

of the user from whom you're switching.



I don't use root with GUI apps so this is theoretical knowledge.



You could set up a polkit action/policy (mimicking

/usr/share/polkit-1/actions/com.ubuntu.update-notifier.policy on my

laptop running Ubuntu):



<policyconfig>

  <action id="com.todd.pkexec.leafpad">

    <message>Authentication is required to run leafpad as root</message>

    <icon_name>leafpad</icon_name>

    <defaults>

      <allow_any>no</allow_any>

      <allow_inactive>no</allow_inactive>

      <allow_active>auth_admin</allow_active>

    </defaults>

    <annotate key="org.freedesktop.policykit.exec.path">/usr/bin/leafpad</annotate>

    <annotate key="org.freedesktop.policykit.exec.allow_gui">true</annotate>

  </action>

</policyconfig>



And you'll then be able to run (as a member of wheel) "pkexec leafpad &".