Cannot write X config due to missing u+x permissions on nvidia-polkit

[Robert Hardy]

Despite being this similar to an old bug 1625119, which was on a now unsupported release, I asked on #ubuntu whether I should go for a new bug and was directed to file this as a new bug.

I have an Asus NVidia RTX 3060. I am running:
Description: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS
Release: 22.04

a supported release, and found a solution on that release.

I am using a fully patched system with nvidia-settings 510.47.03-0ubuntu1.

I expected, when running nvidia-settings as root, when I clicked on the button to write out the settings I just configured to /etc/X11/xorg.conf for that to work. It does not with permission denied.

The tools needs to be able to write /etc/X11/xorg.conf when root requests it.

I tracked this down to a missing permission on /usr/share/screen-resolution-extra/nvidia-polkit which had permissions 644 on my system.

The following change fixed this for me: chmod u+x /usr/share/screen-resolution-extra/nvidia-polkit
I found many users online with similar issues in forums.

Please update the package to implement the equivalent and close this.

FYI end user configuration without root has improved significantly since 16.04 such that it would be reasonable in my honest opinion to also close 1625119 as fixed in 22.04 once this is done. It is fixed as well as security allows. It is reasonable from my point of view for security reasons to need root to change such a critical file as /etc/X11/xorg.conf.