Invoke sudo and present password prompt when permission is denied to write to a file

[Mike Doherty]

Binary package hint: nano

If a user can read but not write a file, as often happens with system configuration files, then they need to be root or use sudo to edit the file. If they forget, they won't notice until they're presented with a permission error when attempting to save. This can result in lost work for new users who don't know how to save the edited file elsewhere.

Nano should offer to invoke sudo and present the password prompt to gain the elevated privileges needed in these cases.

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

Thank you for reporting this issue and bringing it to our attention. However, this bug is not a valid paper cut, as a paper cut should be a small usability issue, in the default or featured applications, that affects many users and is quick and easy to fix.
Therefore this bug cannot be addressed as part of the One Hundred Paper Cuts project.

Gedit 3 already pops up a proper dialog that 'the current user doesn't have permissions to edit this file'. And you filed this bug against nano. We don't expect end-users to go use Nano for text editing.
For further info about the paper cut criteria, please read <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PaperCut>.

Don't worry though, This bug has been marked as "Invalid" ONLY in the One Hundred Paper Cuts project.

[Marcus Haslam (marcus-haslam)]

I'm out of the office until 1st August.

On 13 May 2011, at 20:06, Mike Doherty <email address hidden>
wrote:

> Public bug reported:
>
> Binary package hint: nano
>
> If a user can read but not write a file, as often happens with system
> configuration files, then they need to be root or use sudo to edit the
> file. If they forget, they won't notice until they're presented with a
> permission error when attempting to save. This can result in lost work
> for new users who don't know how to save the edited file elsewhere.
>
> Nano should offer to invoke sudo and present the password prompt to
> gain
> the elevated privileges needed in these cases.
>
> ** Affects: hundredpapercuts
>     Importance: Undecided
>         Status: New
>
> ** Affects: nano
>     Importance: Unknown
>         Status: Unknown
>
> ** Affects: nano (Ubuntu)
>     Importance: Undecided
>         Status: New
>
> ** Bug watch added: GNU Savannah Bug Tracker #26000
>   http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?26000
>
> ** Also affects: nano via
>   http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?26000
>   Importance: Unknown
>       Status: Unknown
>
> ** Description changed:
>
>  Binary package hint: nano
>
>  If a user can read but not write a file, as often happens with system
>  configuration files, then they need to be root or use sudo to edit
> the
> - file. If they forget, they'll be presented with a permission error
> when
> - attempting to save. This can result in lost work for new users who
> don't
> - know how to save the edited file elsewhere.
> + file. If they forget, they won't notice until they're presented
> with a
> + permission error when attempting to save. This can result in lost
> work
> + for new users who don't know how to save the edited file elsewhere.
>
>  Nano should offer to invoke sudo and present the password prompt to
> gain
>  the elevated privileges needed in these cases.
>
> ** Also affects: hundredpapercuts
>   Importance: Undecided
>       Status: New
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of
> Papercutters, which is subscribed to One Hundred Paper Cuts.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/782355
>
> Title:
>  Invoke sudo and present password prompt when permission is denied to
>  write to a file
>
> Status in One Hundred Paper Cuts:
>  New
> Status in nano:
>  Unknown
> Status in “nano” package in Ubuntu:
>  New
>
> Bug description:
>  Binary package hint: nano
>
>  If a user can read but not write a file, as often happens with system
>  configuration files, then they need to be root or use sudo to edit
> the
>  file. If they forget, they won't notice until they're presented
> with a
>  permission error when attempting to save. This can result in lost
> work
>  for new users who don't know how to save the edited file elsewhere.
>
>  Nano should offer to invoke sudo and present the password prompt to
>  gain the elevated privileges needed in these cases.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Ken Sharp (kennybobs)]

Upstream Nano doesn't seem interested.