gksu does not work properly

[Robert Xu]

Binary package hint: gksu

First, I try starting Synaptic, and nothing happens. I try with the command "sudo synaptic" and everything is working! I figured it must be gksu, so I type in a terminal "gksu". That works, so I try going to Add/Remove Programs, selecting the ones I need, then Hitting Install Updates. The gksu dialog doesn't come up, and my Add/Remove Programs freezes. So then I try the GDebi Package Installer. I take Wine 1.0-rc3 and try to install it, but at the part where it's supposed to give me the gksu dialog, the dialog never comes up, and i'm left with a broken gksu. I've had to run so many sudos from the command line and I would like gksu fixed...

For information on what versions I used: I used Ubuntu Hardy, gksu 2.0.0-5ubuntu3. Maybe I should downgrade to gksu 2.0.0-5ubuntu2...

--PS-- I tried installing the update: no luck. Back to blueprints. You might have to go back to gnome-sudo.

[RichardCampbell (richard-campbell)]

I have the same problem. After the 180+ upgrades, all use of gksu from the menus stopped working.
After indicating that an administrative application is being started, nothing happens. A system monitor check shows that another instance of gksu has been started but is sleeping with 0.0% processor use.

Running the 'gksu' command from a user terminal pops the dialog, but nothing happens and the command has to be aborted to get the prompt back. It makes no difference if the advance options are selected or not. Running 'gksu synaptic' from a terminal gives the same non result

My work around has been to 'sudo -s' in a terminal and run the programs from there.
I may elect to try the downgrade of gksu as it is not a problem for me. If it 'goes south', I'll just dump and rebuild. I'm running this particular instance (I have 3) of Ubuntu in a a VMWareFusion virtual machine on my iMAC.

Here are some of my environmentals:

512MB ram, dual-processor, 20GB virtual disk as presented via VMWareFusion Version 1.0 (51348)

Hardy Heron:

xsession-errors:

/etc/gdm/Xsession: Beginning session setup...
Setting IM through im-switch for locale=en_CA.
Start IM through /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/all_ALL linked to /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/default.
SESSION_MANAGER=local/aarc01vu:/tmp/.ICE-unix/5319
** Message: another SSH agent is running at: /tmp/ssh-TKjRcT5319/agent.5319
ALSA lib control.c:909:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL front:0
ALSA lib control.c:909:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL front:0
Shutdown failed or nothing to shut down.
xrdb: "*Label.background" on line 220 overrides entry on line 150
xrdb: "*Text.background" on line 226 overrides entry on line 191
xrdb: "*Label.foreground" on line 232 overrides entry on line 151
xrdb: "*Text.foreground" on line 238 overrides entry on line 192
Checking for Xgl:
** (x-session-manager:5319): WARNING **: Host name lookup failure on localhost.
not present.
No whitelisted driver found
aborting and using fallback: /usr/bin/metacity
Window manager warning: Failed to read saved session file /home/richardc/.metacity/sessions/default0.ms: Failed to open file '/home/richardc/.metacity/sessions/default0.ms': No such file or directory

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Initialising tracker...
Could not set idle IO priority...attempting best effort 7 priority
Initializing nautilus-open-terminal extension
Initializing nautilus-share extension
11
Initializing nautilus-image-converter extension
seahorse nautilus module initialized
starting HAL detection for ac adaptors...found /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer_power_supply_ac_adapter_ACAD

** (nautilus:5509): WARNING **: Unable to add monitor: Not supported
Throttle level is 5

(gnome-panel:5507): Gtk-WARNING **: gtk_widget_size_allocate(): attempt to allocate widget with width -1 and height 34
evolution-alarm-notify-Message: Setting timeout for 33520 1212624000 1212590480
evolution-alarm-notify-Message: Wed Ju...

[RichardCampbell (richard-campbell)]

Follow up:

"I may elect to try the downgrade of gksu"

The downgrade to gksu 2.0.0-5ubuntu2 did not solve the problem.

Next I'll try downgrading backwards in steps, 2.0.0-4, 2.0.0-1, all the way to 1.3.7-0

[RichardCampbell (richard-campbell)]

I downgraded all the way to 1.3.7-0.

The intermediates did not work at all

1.3.7-0 was unable to update the gksu schemas, but interestingly, if the launch icon ran the application in a window first, the gksu worked--without prompting for the password at all--A MAJOR security violation.

So I reverted to the current version, and after a reboot, the security violation vanished, as did the use of gksu.

Back to the drawing board

[Shawn Church (sl-church)]

I have the same problem. When attempting an administrative task that requires root privileges I get the gksu window about 75% of the time. If I try again it usually works the second time. After that I just use the command line.

[Azamat S. Kalimoulline (turtle-bazon)]

http://www.art.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1594016

"If you wish to use gksu then open the configuration editor (gconf-editor

apps - gksu - and make sure sudo mode is enabled."

[Robert Kehl (robertkehl-deactivatedaccount)]

Being hit by this on Natty, too. it's so annoying as I can't use my fingerprint reader after gksu got stuck. I hope this gets fixed soon.

Thanks,

Robert

[Adolfo Jayme Barrientos (fitojb)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner. These days, PolicyKit is the preferred authentication system, and gksu is obsolete.