[gentoo-user] trouble running X clients as root

[gentoo-user] trouble running X clients as root

[Robert Persson]

I am trying to run gdmsetup and getting "can't find display" type errors. 

Here is what happened when I try to run it from an xterm:

robert@zebedee ~ $ sux
Password:
zebedee robert # gdmsetup

(gdmsetup:6618): GnomeUI-WARNING **: While connecting to session manager:
Authentication Rejected, reason : None of the authentication protocols 
specified are supported and host-based authentication failed.
Could not access GDM configuration file.
zebedee robert # exit
exit
robert@zebedee ~ $ sudo gdmsetup
Password:

(gdmsetup:6828): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:


I then tried, as a test, to open a root xterm using sux and I got the 
following error:

sux
Password:
zebedee robert # xterm
Warning: Tried to connect to session manager, Authentication Rejected, 
reason : None of the authentication protocols specified are supported and 
host-based authentication failed


However the root xterm opened up anyway. It failed when I tried to sudo an 
xterm:

sudo xterm
Warning: This program is an suid-root program or is being run by the root 
user.
The full text of the error or warning message cannot be safely formatted
in this environment. You may get a more descriptive message by running the
program as a non-root user or by removing the suid bit on the executable.
xterm Xt error: Can't open display: %s
xterm:  DISPLAY is not set


However DISPLAY +is+ set. When I "echo $DISPLAY", "sudo echo $DISPLAY" or sux 
and then "echo $DISPLAY" I get the same answer--  :0.0

This has got me quite confused. I used not to get these messages when I ran X 
clients as root. Anyone know what is going on here?

Thanks in advance
Robert
-- 
Robert Persson

Conspiracy Bears:
Once upon a time there were lots of conspiracy bears...

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Re: [gentoo-user] trouble running X clients as root

[Tamas Sarga]

Robert Persson wrote:
> I am trying to run gdmsetup and getting "can't find display" type errors. 
> 
> Here is what happened when I try to run it from an xterm:
> 
> robert@zebedee ~ $ sux
> Password:
> zebedee robert # gdmsetup
> 
> (gdmsetup:6618): GnomeUI-WARNING **: While connecting to session manager:
> Authentication Rejected, reason : None of the authentication protocols 
> specified are supported and host-based authentication failed.
> Could not access GDM configuration file.
> zebedee robert # exit
> exit
> robert@zebedee ~ $ sudo gdmsetup
> Password:
> 
> (gdmsetup:6828): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:
> 
> 
> I then tried, as a test, to open a root xterm using sux and I got the 
> following error:
> 
> sux
> Password:
> zebedee robert # xterm
> Warning: Tried to connect to session manager, Authentication Rejected, 
> reason : None of the authentication protocols specified are supported and 
> host-based authentication failed
> 
> 
> However the root xterm opened up anyway. It failed when I tried to sudo an 
> xterm:
> 
> sudo xterm
> Warning: This program is an suid-root program or is being run by the root 
> user.
> The full text of the error or warning message cannot be safely formatted
> in this environment. You may get a more descriptive message by running the
> program as a non-root user or by removing the suid bit on the executable.
> xterm Xt error: Can't open display: %s
> xterm:  DISPLAY is not set
> 
> 
> However DISPLAY +is+ set. When I "echo $DISPLAY", "sudo echo $DISPLAY" or sux 
> and then "echo $DISPLAY" I get the same answer--  :0.0
> 
> This has got me quite confused. I used not to get these messages when I ran X 
> clients as root. Anyone know what is going on here?
> 
> Thanks in advance
> Robert

Hi,

I tried to reproduce it, but can't. But I dicovered, that `sux` and `sux 
-` is not the same. The help doesn't say anything about - parameter, but 
if I give `env` after `sux` and `sux -` then I found some differences. 
Maybe `sux -` worth a try for you. BTW I can start xterm without any 
error or warning with or without -.
In /etc/X11 I don't find any approrpiate setting. Maybe you could try it 
under TWM.

TIA.
Cheers,
Tamas Sarga
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[gentoo-user] Re: trouble running X clients as root

[Simon Kellett]

Tamas Sarga <tamas.sarga2@gmail.com> writes:

> I tried to reproduce it, but can't. But I dicovered, that `sux` and
> `sux -` is not the same. The help doesn't say anything about -
> parameter, but if I give `env` after `sux` and `sux -` then I found
> some differences. Maybe `sux -` worth a try for you. BTW I can start
> xterm without any error or warning with or without -.

I do not know what sux it, but it is related to su then the -
determines, IIRC whether or not to inherent the current shells
environment or to setup the new users environment. Eg from bash su -
will cause /root/.profile and .bashrc (IIRC!).

-- 
Simon Kellett,        |   Gentoo Linux, Fvwm, Firefox 
Darmstadt, Germany    |              Xemacs, Vm, Gnus

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