Make copying / editing files as root easier

[Alin Andrei]

Right now, to copy / edit files as root you need to open Nautilus with "gksu nautilus". This is a bit frustrating when a user wants to install a theme in /usr/share themes for instance.

What if Nautilus wouldn't require "gksu nautilus", but it would just prompt for a password when trying to copy files to a system folder? A warning message could be displayed so the user is notified about the risks...

The idea is from here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1502505

[ammonkey (am-monkeyd)]

i think this has to be done in gio code and not nautilus, anyway i let this bug open until we or some other folks choose the way to go.

Seems another legacy bug from 2001? https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=65058

list of some other duplicated bug which may contain a solution:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/nautilus/+bug/12154
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=490200

so a controversy bug, a long long term wishlist ;)

[[e-mail] (jeanphilippe-green)]

The best solution would be to implement policykit in gio/gvfs, because that would affect so many more applications than just nautilus-elementary. If you save/edit a file with gedit, inkscape, gimp or abiword etc. in a folder where you don't have permission, it would just ask for a password when needed.

Bug related: https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=561443
Brainstorm idea related: http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/22830/

Notice that Mac OS X does this, and there is a reason behind this. My friend stopped using Ubuntu partly because of this, he thought it was to much struggle doing simple things in Ubuntu.

[silvagroup (casaba7339-ubuntu)]

With Elementary Nautilus just crashes any time I try anything in root, regardless of how I get to root.
Any time I right click it will crash for sure, and within a few seconds all on it's own as long as I am in root mode.
The only thing that works so far is F7.
Problem exists on both my laptop and desktop. One uses Nvidia the other Intel graphics so it's not the graphics drivers.
Using Compiz and not.
Will be very cool once it works.