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Bug 529622 - Please don't use gksu in the gparted.desktop file
Please don't use gksu in the gparted.desktop file
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Product: gparted
Classification: Other
Component: application
GIT HEAD
Other All
: Normal normal
: ---
Assigned To: gparted maintainers alias
gparted maintainers alias
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2008-04-23 22:29 UTC by Deji Akingunola
Modified: 2008-04-26 20:42 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---



Description Deji Akingunola 2008-04-23 22:29:51 UTC
Please describe the problem:
Currently in svn, the desktop file 'exec' field uses 'gksu' to call the gparted binary. This is a bad idea because gksu is not a cross-distro solution. For instance Fedora doesn't ship (to the best of my knowledge) gksu, but uses 'consolehelper' to launch user program that needs root privilegdes. There is also policykit solution which is being developed across distro boundaries that can be useful. Please drop the use of 'gksu' from the desktop file.  

Steps to reproduce:
1. 
2. 
3. 


Actual results:


Expected results:


Does this happen every time?


Other information:
Comment 1 Curtis Gedak 2008-04-24 14:07:49 UTC
Hi Deji,

Thank you for this and many other bug reports you have filed.  Following is a description of why I placed gksu in the desktop file, and a question regarding policykit.

BACKGROUND
Without some way of invoking root access to start gparted from the menu, a non-privileged user will only see a message that "Root privileges are required for running GParted".  This was pointed out in bug #381557 .

QUESTION
Where can I find more information on how to use policykit to provide a cross-distribution solution to the problem of invoking gparted (with root privilege) from the desktop menu?

Regards,
Curtis Gedak

Comment 2 Curtis Gedak 2008-04-24 14:33:17 UTC
Finally found policykit :-)

http://hal.freedesktop.org/docs/PolicyKit/
Comment 3 Curtis Gedak 2008-04-24 16:38:31 UTC
After reading the below quoted section in the PolicyKit manual, I am a bit confused.

----- quote begins -----
Beyond the Defaults

System administrators and sites can tweak what answer libpolkit returns depending on the Action and Subject and other factors through the configuration file /etc/PolicyKit/PolicyKit.conf. The configuration file format, along with examples, is described in the associated manual page of the same name. Note that this file is not supposed to be modified by individual packages, it is solely the responsibility of the system administrator to make changes to this file. 
----- quote ends -----

1)  Does the configuration of PolicyKit belong only to the System Administrator?

2)  Would each GNU/Linux distribution configure it in their own way?

3)  Should GParted NOT include any policykit stuff?

The quote sounds like the software package should not modify policykit.

Your help is appreciated :-)
Comment 4 Deji Akingunola 2008-04-26 13:47:24 UTC
(In reply to comment #3)

> 
> 1)  Does the configuration of PolicyKit belong only to the System
> Administrator?
> 
Essentially, yes.

> 2)  Would each GNU/Linux distribution configure it in their own way?
>
It is really meant for the System Administrator to tweak.

> 3)  Should GParted NOT include any policykit stuff?
> 
It will be interesting and useful if GParted support policykit. Example of software already using it succesfully includes gnome-packagekit and libvirt.

> The quote sounds like the software package should not modify policykit.
> 
> Your help is appreciated :-)
> 
I would indeed be pleased to help. I'm tied up with work now, hopefully I will have time for this in the near future.
Comment 5 Curtis Gedak 2008-04-26 20:42:20 UTC
Thank you for the offer of assistance with PolicyKit.  I will have a look at the software packages you mentioned.

gksu has now been removed from the gparted.desktop.  This closes this bug, and reopens bug #381557 where I would like to track the policykit stuff.