Debian Developers - needs_root-field for menu-package needed (su-to-root is not sufficient)

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Author needs_root-field for menu-package needed (su-to-root is not sufficient)
Fabian Franz

2004-04-11, 3:14 pm

Hi,

while working on some packages I noticed that it would be nice to have a
"needs_root"-field in menu-files, like with needs="Text" ..

At the moment packages must use su-to-root, which does not always work with
X11-Programs ...
(
I don't think the "fix" to use su -p is always sufficient;
think of a NFS-volume.
Better is to merge the Xauth-Info ...
)

The alternative is to use kdesu or gksu and prefix the command.

What I would like to discuss is to have:

command="foo"
needs_root=1

which would be mapped by a KDE-Menu-Method to:

Exec=kdesu -- foo

and by a gnome method to:

Exec=gksu -- foo

by a window maker method for example to:

xterm -e "su-to-root-fixed foo"

I'll also write to Freedesktop.org and ask for Including the same field in the
"desktop"-specification.

I think this would give the packagers more flexibility and also the
corresponding DE.

What do you think?

cu

Fabian

PS: Please cc me, as I'm not subscribed, yet.


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Bill Allombert

2004-04-11, 3:14 pm

If you expect menu developers to comments you should CC menu@qa.packages.debian.org else you are likely to be ignored since I don't post to debian-devel.

On Fri, Apr 09, 2004 at 11:30:11PM +0200, Fabian Franz wrote:
> Hi,
>
> while working on some packages I noticed that it would be nice to have a
> "needs_root"-field in menu-files, like with needs="Text" ..
>
> At the moment packages must use su-to-root, which does not always work with
> X11-Programs ...


This is fixed in menu 2.1.11. You have to call su-to-root -X. It will
invoke gksu or kdesu if they are found else will default to old mode.

Only one X11 program use su-to-root (powertweak). Another call gksu
directly (synaptic). I will ask them to use su-to-root -X when menu
2.1.11 reach sarge.

> (
> I don't think the "fix" to use su -p is always sufficient;
> think of a NFS-volume.
> Better is to merge the Xauth-Info ...
> )


Using -p break the PATH setting: it will lack /sbin and /usr/sbin,
so some programs will break.

> The alternative is to use kdesu or gksu and prefix the command.
>
> What I would like to discuss is to have:
>
> command="foo"
> needs_root=1
>
> What do you think?


We cannot change the interface between menu and menu-method at this
stage since this involve changing all the menu-methods.

Thanks to give me the opportunuity to announce the new su-to-root -X
feature!

Cheers,
--
Bill. <ballombe@debian.org>

Imagine a large red swirl here.

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