gksu dialog not displaying with update-manager

[Jim Martin]

Binary package hint: gksu

Using update-manager in netbook-remix Lucid Lynx

- gksu does not display dialog
(sporadic rather than every time).

consequently update-manager just sits there and spins its wheel with no error message.

This is annoying - for neophytes, very off-putting in terms of user experience of Linux desktop.

------ snip ------ part of ps wax below ------

 4032 ? S 0:00 gksu /usr/bin/x-terminal-emulator
11529 ? SN 0:00 /usr/bin/gksu --desktop /usr/share/applications/update-manager.desktop -- /usr/sbin/synaptic --hide-main-window --non-interactive --parent-window-id 98566183 -o Synaptic::closeZvt=true --progress-str Please wait, this can take some time. --finish-str Update is complete --set-selections-file /tmp/tmpNGmtRY
 1768 ? S 0:37 update-notifier
11266 ? SNl 0:24 /usr/bin/python2.6 /usr/bin/update-manager --no-focus-on-map

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: gksu 2.0.2-2ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-28.55-generic 2.6.32.27+drm33.12
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-28-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Tue Feb 15 08:37:27 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Netbook-Remix 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.4)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gksu

[Jim Martin (jmartin9)]

And now, my prior workaround (clicking settings first) for it is no longer working.

The problem has also appeared for Root Terminal - no password prompt - just dies silently.
The hung processes appear in a pstree -p list and I have to kill them.

I've gone to using X-terminal and then using sudo - truly annoying and time wasting.
I have no clue whatsoever as to why this is failing.