Arch Linux

jehutyy

Member

Registered: 2020-12-21

Posts: 6

[SOLVED] Gnome-shell doesn't display icon and doesn't respond.

Hi everyone,

I'm running arch 250.3.4 and gnome-shell 1:41.3-1.

As an unprivileged user I can no longer see any icons or run gnome properly whereas when I log in as root, everything to work fine.

I guess it has to be an owner right issue but I can't figure which one.

Even gdm doesn't display user icon properly.

Last edited by jehutyy (2022-02-15 09:27:26)

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,693

Re: [SOLVED] Gnome-shell doesn't display icon and doesn't respond.

How did you log in as root to Gnome?  Generally, gdm resists that.

I strongly suggest you never, ever run Gnome as root.

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The shortest way to ruin a country is to give power to demagogues.— Dionysius of Halicarnassus
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jehutyy

Member

Registered: 2020-12-21

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Gnome-shell doesn't display icon and doesn't respond.

Why's that ? any reason not to do that ?

Last edited by jehutyy (2022-02-15 09:21:30)

jehutyy

Member

Registered: 2020-12-21

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Gnome-shell doesn't display icon and doesn't respond.

Anyway, I managed to solved that. It seems that during arduino installation from source, /usr/share/mime has been reset to root:root 640.
A mere chmod o+r /usr/share/mime solved my issue.

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,693

Re: [SOLVED] Gnome-shell doesn't display icon and doesn't respond.

Why's that ? any reason not to do that ?

Security.   Gnome is a large code base and, as such, is impossible to vet for attack surfaces or even just inadvertent errors that could be catastrophic if given unlimited privilege.  (Think Windows in Administrator mode [which most people use])

It is much better to give elevated privilege to one task, with a small code base, that is dedicated to the function -- perform the function -- and then drop the privilege.
When Gnome (or KDE, i3, Xorg, QT, Gtk4, etc...) do something stupid, damage can be localized to the user unless they are run as root; then all bets are off.

Also, if you are logged in as a user and use a tool like sudo to launch something with root privilege, then that program has the opportunity to litter your user space with files owned by root that your user cannot remove or change.  This leads to situations where you try to go back to running as your normal user, but you cannot because some program has dumped some file you cannot change in your directory.

Last edited by ewaller (2022-02-15 15:31:16)

---

Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
The shortest way to ruin a country is to give power to demagogues.— Dionysius of Halicarnassus
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

jehutyy

Member

Registered: 2020-12-21

Posts: 6

Re: [SOLVED] Gnome-shell doesn't display icon and doesn't respond.

Alright thank you for your answer. I didn't thought that gnome could go rogue itself.