GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

dhaines · 2011-01-07 18:37:58

Hey all,

In GNOME, the "Root Terminal" application is having an issue. I can open it up and it works fine. If, however, I close that instance and try to open it again, I enter my password and get a minimized "window" titled "Granting Rights" in the taskbar which goes away after a couple of moments and the GNOME Terminal never opens.

If I run the command "gsku -l gnome-terminal" (from /usr/share/applications/gksu.desktop) in an open terminal, I get the same thing, however the gksu command never completes and I have to control-c it. Looking at a process list, I note that /usr/lib/libgksu/gksu-run-helper seems to be called by gksu, and when I kill it, gksu pops up a window with the following:

Failed to run gnome-terminal as user root.
Failed to communicate with gksu-run-helper.
Received:
gksu: waiting
While expecting:
gksu: waiting

Nothing appears in the terminal from a terminal-run instance of gksu.

Has anyone ever experienced this and/or solved this?

Thanks,

David

Stunts · 2011-01-08 23:43:03

Sorry, I can't reproduce this. "Root terminal" works just fine every time here, regardless of how I start it...

dhaines · 2011-01-09 00:13:20

I created a new install of Arch under virtualbox and was able to reproduce it there. I could probably share a copy of the virtual machine without too much trouble, if that would help (though it'd have to wait until I get back to work on Monday).

Stunts · 2011-01-09 22:13:15

It must be sort of huge...
Maybe a pacman -Q (from the VM) will do for now?
Also, do you have a customized "/etc/bash.bashrc"? That could cause issues.
Also, make sure you follow the tips mentioned here:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sudo

dhaines · 2011-01-09 22:36:21

Here's what I have installed: http://pastebin.com/hJj0DyQi

Which particular tips on the sudo wiki page were you referring to? I know, for instance, that I don't need to set up tab completion.

The 3.2 GB (uncompressed) offer stands for the VM.

Stunts · 2011-01-10 23:27:15

You seem to have all the relevant packages installed.
What does /var/log/auth.log say when you can't run your root terminal?
Maybe you can locate the problem from there.
Your VM is kind of large... I'll see if I can give you a help like this. I will get it as a last resort option. =-)

Last edited by Stunts (2011-01-10 23:29:50)

dhaines · 2011-01-12 13:59:50

The problem has disappeared on the VM, but it gets weirder still.

I did a fresh install of Arch on my machine (keeping the /home partition, but setting up a fresh, new user to test with), and the problem remains. But that's not all. The root terminal still works only the one time, but I found that if I max out all four cores of my machine with "cat /dev/urandom > /dev/null" I can get the root terminal to appear every time that I execute it, if I max out three of them, it usually works, and if I max out two of them, it works some of the time.

There is pretty clearly something going wrong, and I'd bet it's a race condition.

dhaines · 2011-01-12 14:13:57

Oh, and I should note that the hang apparently occurs only when gksu is run with the "-l" flag.

Awebb · 2011-01-12 15:28:14

It's time for exact hardware specs and the output of lspci and lsusb. If you mind, you could also create a report with hardinfo (should be either in extra or in the AUR).

dhaines · 2011-01-12 16:31:17

Alright, it's an HP/Compaq 8100 Elite Small Form Factor Business PC (the i5-650, 3.20GHz version with 4GB) running Arch x86_64.

lspci: http://pastebin.com/WGwx1ReK
lsusb: http://pastebin.com/XjCLdVAD
hardinfo (in plain text): http://pastebin.com/6DrPPpfY

Stunts · 2011-01-12 18:00:08

This is starting to get a bit out of my league...
I guess I'll just take this chance to learn something...!

Captain Dunce · 2011-01-18 02:32:37

Not trying to bump an old post but if you just change the command from 'gksu -| gnome-terminal' to 'gksu gnome-terminal' everything works okey dokey. just my 2 pennies

Captain Dunce · 2011-01-18 05:36:18

All right, I was wrong before but I'm well now. I removed gksu via pacman then downloaded source from www.nongnu.org/gksu. When I ran gksu for the first time I deselected the "remeber password" box and it would seem that gksu is working consistently(I tried a dozen times in a row without fail). Hope this might help

catch-22 · 2011-01-22 21:47:37

Same issue here.

I would like to add that the unexpected behavior occurs each time (except the very first one after a fresh login) I use gksu, no matter which command I fire ("gksu nautilus", "gksu gparted", ...)

I temporary switched to ktsuss, but that is just a quick and dirty workaround, 'couse it needs some hacking of the "gksu" command (in order to be able to use the "open as administrator" Nautilus' feature, for example).

Hope some guru can give a hint; could this be related to policykit incompatibilities (gksu is currently deprecated and gksu-polkit should be used instead...)

jeff story · 2011-01-22 23:10:22

The settings below may have an effect.
system>preferences>privilege granting

Keeping in mind that Gnome has "terminal" and "root terminal" choices in the menus, I never use the gnome "Root Terminal" so I can't say.

I use my user terminal and just su to root, gkus apps, or just log into root gui account from gdm as a last resort.

I don't understand why one would run the gksu command from root though........ I thought gksu was to run gui apps as user with root privileges.
If you're in a root terminal, you wouldn't need gksu.

Last edited by jeff story (2011-01-22 23:25:14)

zippy · 2011-01-27 07:34:48

I noticed you reinstalled but kept /home. I had this issue once a while ago. I dont use gnome but i've always loved gksu+gnome-keyring and used gksu for every gui that had to run as root. I just deleted my gnome keyring, logged out and started fresh. Set a password in the wallet (if you want) and remember it (if you want.) Hope it helps your situation.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-01-07 18:37:58

GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#2 2011-01-08 23:43:03

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#3 2011-01-09 00:13:20

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#4 2011-01-09 22:13:15

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#5 2011-01-09 22:36:21

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#6 2011-01-10 23:27:15

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#7 2011-01-12 13:59:50

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#8 2011-01-12 14:13:57

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#9 2011-01-12 15:28:14

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#10 2011-01-12 16:31:17

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#11 2011-01-12 18:00:08

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#12 2011-01-18 02:32:37

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#13 2011-01-18 05:36:18

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#14 2011-01-22 21:47:37

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#15 2011-01-22 23:10:22

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

#16 2011-01-27 07:34:48

Re: GNOME "Root Terminal" / gksu Problem

Board footer