David Hare wrote:
> I have tested various workarounds for getting GUI stuff as root
> (without enabling sudo) for the past week.  Some Debian users are not
> comfortable with sudo at all (especially if configured for root access
> without password) and prefer the root password to be required for
> administration.
>
> I have now settled on a workable solution with Trinity.
>
> Using:
>
> kdesu <kdeapp> --nonewdcop
>
> with the configs I posted earlier has not failed once. (must create
> file kdesurc and purge kdesudo-trinity)
>
> It seems the user's dcop and/or klauncher crashes if/when root gets a
> new dcop. I don't know why, when I used sudo initially, that did not
> happen.
>
> I edited the menu with a new "root apps" section (konq, kwrite, kuser)
> configured like that, with "run as different user" unchecked so can
> now use terminal, run box or menu.
>
> Non-trinity, gtk apps (synaptic, gparted, zenity) I had problems with
> before seem fixed by adding to ~/.bashrc:
>
> export XAUTHORITY=$HOME/.Xauthority
>
> Needed reboot (or relogin) to register that. Don't know if that has
> security issues but it works.
>
> I can now open, error-free, as root from terminal or via custom script with:
>
> dbus-launch <gtk-app>
>
> That will not work for trinity apps.
>
> sux gives the same problem as kdesu without --nonewdcop; can't use
> that (for Trinity apps) now but never mind
>   


I now have a recipe too, of course I have only tested this with Squeeze 
and have been using it since yesterday and it seems to work perfect.

Using synaptic Install:

gksu
gksu-polkit
sudo

And completely Remove:

kdesudo
kdesudo-trinity
sudo-trinity

As "User" run 'gksu-properties' and change "su" to "sudo" and you will 
always be prompted for a password when you need elevated privileges.

-- 
Jimmy Johnson

Debian Squeeze - Trinity KDE 3.5.12 at sda12
Registered Linux User #380263