I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

Perre · 2008-03-12 11:50:35

Hi!

I've installed arch and openbox on my computer. Since "startx" only would start if I was in root
I've been configuring the whole system as root user. When I now try to start "startx" as normal
user it works and openbox starts up too... the problem is that all my configurations disappear.

Openbox, bmpanel, nitrogen etc. goes back to default settings. I guess it has something to do with
the rights my normal user has, but since I'm still kinda noob I really don't know what to do.

Anyone know what the problem might be?

Thanks!

bwalk · 2008-03-12 11:54:48

You should never start an X server as root. You can find the configuration files you made in /root, try to move them to your home directory /home/$USER.

Perre · 2008-03-12 12:17:41

I copied everything from /root/.config to /home/USER/.config (and also /home/USER/.config/USER) but when I start "startx" from normal user I still get only openbox default and none of the apps I've set up in autostart.sh starts...

Do I need to chmod something maybe??

bwalk · 2008-03-12 12:21:17

The files you copied should of course belong to your user. Also, I don't know exactly where all the configurations are and copying only .config is enough.

schivmeister · 2008-03-12 12:51:17

Failed. Individual settings are individual settings, they are not reflected across different accounts. Root is not an exception.

iphitus · 2008-03-12 13:19:01

In some cases you can get away with copying the settings across. Nitrogen for example probably wouldnt have anything referencing root. You need to chown them to your user though so that you can actually read them as your user.

Perre · 2008-03-12 14:50:18

Copied everything from /root/ over to /home/$USER/, gave $USER permission to use the files and things are working perfectly!!

But this also means that alot of the files in root really doesn't need to be there... What files do I absolutely need in /root/?? So I can delete the ones who's only needed in /home/$USER...

Thanks for the help guys!

glad · 2008-03-12 15:25:15

I don't think the /root/ folder need any files for your system to work.

You could safly remove .config and other files related to X.org

Perre · 2008-03-12 16:03:51

glad wrote:

I don't think the /root/ folder need any files for your system to work.
You could safly remove .config and other files related to X.org

Yea, tried deleting the files now and I really don't need any files in root.

Seems I only can start "startx" with "exec openbox-session" in the .xinitrc
when I'm root user now though... Without the exec openbox-session the
X session halts and I'm back in bash again. Thought it would start up the
X session with the 3 windows, but something isn't working. Guess it doesn't
matter anyways.

Ashren · 2008-03-12 17:35:34

A normal mistake for beginners. Did it myself (a couple of times) I guess I was overexcited to get things running, but nowadays, when I have to reinstall the first thing I do is to create a user and install sudo.

Perre · 2008-03-14 09:15:45

Now it seems the user rights on my computer are kinda... wrong. Since I've set up most of my system from root user
the user rights for my normal user are a bit off. All files in ~/ I have full access to, but other files can't even be
accessed using sudo. (I get something like "$USER don't have access to this file as root)

In ubuntu this was set up from the get go so I guess there's a kind of default user rights scheme that I can use as a
starting point and then configure it for my own use?? What files and folders should my user normally have access to,
what files and folders when using sudo, and what files and folders shouldn't $USER have access to at all?

Thanks.

Stoffi · 2008-03-14 09:39:12

I also made this mistake when installing arch.
since this is my first atempt on linux, I just continued to use root, awaiting a new install iso, and a new installation.
maybe also awaiting netcfg2...

I think somebody should put a warning in the beginners guide.

Perre · 2008-03-14 09:44:40

Stoffi wrote:

I also made this mistake when installing arch.
since this is my first atempt on linux, I just continued to use root, awaiting a new install iso, and a new installation.
maybe also awaiting netcfg2...
I think somebody should put a warning in the beginners guide.

So you're still using root?? Or did you set up the user rights the correct way?

BTW, heia norge!

Stoffi · 2008-03-14 09:52:23

I'm still using root untill I reinstall arch, which I will do when the new iso comes out

Maki · 2008-03-14 10:30:31

Stoffi wrote:

I'm still using root untill I reinstall arch, which I will do when the new iso comes out

Fix it faster, running as root is weird and unsafe, you just need to copy the files and change permission of the files.

Stoffi · 2008-03-14 10:36:26

I'll take the chance that nothing wipes out the harddrive, or destroys the pc, anyways, windows is still my primary OS...

Arch Linux

#1 2008-03-12 11:50:35

I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#2 2008-03-12 11:54:48

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#3 2008-03-12 12:17:41

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#4 2008-03-12 12:21:17

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#5 2008-03-12 12:51:17

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#6 2008-03-12 13:19:01

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#7 2008-03-12 14:50:18

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#8 2008-03-12 15:25:15

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#9 2008-03-12 16:03:51

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#10 2008-03-12 17:35:34

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#11 2008-03-14 09:15:45

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#12 2008-03-14 09:39:12

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#13 2008-03-14 09:44:40

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#14 2008-03-14 09:52:23

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#15 2008-03-14 10:30:31

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

#16 2008-03-14 10:36:26

Re: I've configured arch as root user, this gives problems as normal user

Board footer