howto: run dolphin or muon as root without making a mess ;-]

[wizard10000]

ohai, KFN

Playing with my less-than-a-week old plasma5 install one thing I've found made me less than happy is that the three graphical applications I run as root (synaptic, muon and occasionally, dolphin) look horrible. No theming, big ugly fonts - so I did some research.

Problem is here - https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugr...cgi?bug=824906

and workaround is here - https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugr...?bug=824906#10

kdesu installs in a weird location: /usr/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu-distrib/kdesu so rather than put that in my path I just symlinked to the executable, like this:

cd /usr/bin

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu-distrib/kdesu kdesu

Note that the next command will alter the way kdesu works (we do this to preserve the environment), so if you have a root password I'd skip this step:

kwriteconfig5 --file kdesurc --group  super-user-command --key super-user-command sudo

kdesurc is written to ~/.config if you ever need to find it.

I use keyboard shortcuts to launch both because I don't need them often, but command lines to start them are

kdesu dbus-launch muon

kdesu dbus-launch dolphin

If you ever want to revert the changes just delete the symlink we put in /usr/bin and the kdesurc in ~/.config

Still playing with it, but muon and dolphin are now themed with the same theme I use and font size is correct. synaptic is unchanged, so there may be a GTK3 tweak I can make, but it's been stubborn - which is why I installed muon

Hope this helps someone else -

[kubicle]

Alternatively, you can edit sudoers config to make kdesudo (and sudo) keep the important environment variables (see instructions here: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post386823), after which apps run with kdesudo will take root's theming and icons (and root's theming can be set by running "kdesudo systemsettings"...in most cases using a different color-scheme, for example, is a good way to visually identify super-user apps).

Also, using "dbus-launch" is a bit dirty, because it starts a new dbus-daemon (for root) every time it's run (and they keep running even if you close the app), so you could end up having dozens of them running if you use it often. if you have new enough dbus, it's cleaner to use "dbus-run-session" instead ("kdesudo dbus-run-session dolphin"). It also starts a new dbus-daemon, but this daemon exits once you close the app.

[Snowhog]

root's theming can be set by running "kdesudo systemsettings"

Not so here. On my 16.04 'fully updated/dist-upgraded', attempting to run kdesudo systemsettings simply fails to run. I'm prompted for my password, but entering it and pressing Enter simply results in a failure; I hear the Plasma Error tone and that's it. Even running the command in a Konsole fails and displays no messages.

[GreyGeek]

Not so here. On my 16.04 'fully updated/dist-upgraded', attempting to run kdesudo systemsettings simply fails to run. I'm prompted for my password, but entering it and pressing Enter simply results in a failure; I hear the Plasma Error tone and that's it. Even running the command in a Konsole fails and displays no messages.

But, when I run kdesudo systemsettings5 I get the SystemSettings panel in all its GUI glory!

Dolphin works using kdesudo in a konsole as well, and it displays exactly as I set it when I first ran it as root.

[Snowhog]

But, when I run kdesudo systemsettings5 I get the SystemSettings panel in all its GUI glory!

Dolphin works using kdesudo in a konsole as well, and it displays exactly as I set it when I first ran it as root.

Oh, THAT works! Butt ugly fonts in the System Settings window, and there are no icons except for Search and KDE Connect. Hmm.

[wizard10000]

Alternatively, you can edit sudoers config to make kdesudo (and sudo) keep the important environment variables (see instructions here: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post386823), after which apps run with kdesudo will take root's theming and icons (and root's theming can be set by running "kdesudo systemsettings"...in most cases using a different color-scheme, for example, is a good way to visually identify super-user apps).

Also, using "dbus-launch" is a bit dirty, because it starts a new dbus-daemon (for root) every time it's run (and they keep running even if you close the app), so you could end up having dozens of them running if you use it often. if you have new enough dbus, it's cleaner to use "dbus-run-session" instead ("kdesudo dbus-run-session dolphin"). It also starts a new dbus-daemon, but this daemon exits once you close the app.

The method you outlined works better than the one I did - can someone move this thread out of howtos and into a discussion area, please?

thanks -

edit:: fixing kdesudo didn't survive a reboot. Although theming worked I got the dreaded protocol error. Here's where I ended up after re-symlinking kdesu into /usr/bin

kdesu dbus-launch --exit-with-session dolphin

[kubicle]

But, when I run kdesudo systemsettings5

Thanks for that correction, my bad

Oh, THAT works! Butt ugly fonts in the System Settings window, and there are no icons except for Search and KDE Connect. Hmm.

That's were the first part of the fix comes in:

Alternatively, you can edit sudoers config to make kdesudo (and sudo) keep the important environment variables (see instructions here: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post386823), after which apps run with kdesudo will take root's theming and icons

(that will fix icons and theming for root apps)

edit:: fixing kdesudo didn't survive a reboot. Although theming worked I got the dreaded protocol error.

You still need to use dbus-activation for dolphin if you wish to avoid that in all cases (even with the "theming-and-icons-with-kde-environment-variables-fix" )

kdesu dbus-launch --exit-with-session dolphin

Somewhat better than just dbus-launch, but still not ideal. This should close the dbus-daemons when you log out (but not when you close the app...like "dbus-run-session" does).

[wizard10000]

...Somewhat better than just dbus-launch, but still not ideal. This should close the dbus-daemons when you log out (but not when you close the app...like "dbus-run-session" does).

i can see now where I was a little thickheaded there - thank you. I'm still not 100% sure I've got it right but I'm thinking

kdesu dbus-run-session dolphin

is where I want to be.

Now that I understand what did work I need to deep dive and figure out *why* it worked and what I need to do next time I need to ask a favor of dbus.

Thanks again, kubicle

[kubicle]

kdesu dbus-run-session dolphin

is where I want to be.

That should work fine, if you prefer to use kdesu (instead of kdesudo) and have linked /usr/bin/kdesu to the "real" kdesu.

but "kdesudo dbus-run-session dolphin" should work equally fine for those that prefer kdesudo (to kdesu), provided one has fixed the theming/icons for root.

[wizard10000]

That should work fine, if you prefer to use kdesu (instead of kdesudo) and have linked /usr/bin/kdesu to the "real" kdesu.

but "kdesudo dbus-run-session dolphin" should work equally fine for those that prefer kdesudo (to kdesu), provided one has fixed the theming/icons for root.

Maybe I'm missing it here, but didn't we have to alter default behavior of sudo to get kdesudo to work? That's the reason I rolled back changes to sudo and decided to use kdesu instead. I just symlinked kdesu into /usr/bin since it was in a weird location

[kubicle]

Maybe I'm missing it here, but didn't we have to alter default behavior of sudo to get kdesudo to work?

Yes...that's why I said "provided one has fixed the theming/icons for root" (which is the edit on sudoers that we did).

[wizard10000]

Ah. This forum really needs a like button

[Snowhog]

When we switched to vBulletin, we opted not to use the Reputation feature, or to install similar 'Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down' or 'Thanks' MODs. They just get overused/abused, both in the positive and the negative.

[wizard10000]

When we switched to vBulletin, we opted not to use the Reputation feature, or to install similar 'Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down' or 'Thanks' MODs. They just get overused/abused, both in the positive and the negative.

Yeah, I went through the same pain with my own board (which I no longer own or run - gave it away to someone a couple years ago). I eventually disabled the entire system after the umpteenth public argument about red pips - I did end up finding a like/dislike hack on vbulletin.org and only implemented the "like" part of the hack. Decided all we needed was positive reinforcement

Not recommending we install hacks here, though.

[TWPonKubuntu]

When we switched to vBulletin, we opted not to use the Reputation feature, or to install similar 'Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down' or 'Thanks' MODs. They just get overused/abused, both in the positive and the negative.

+1 I Agree with those decisions.