Sudden complications with Adept and Synaptic

[Gene Heskett]

On Saturday 11 October 2008, Bas Roufs wrote:
>Dear Everybody
>
>This morning I effectively managed to redefine my Unix 'root' password
>at Kubuntu 7.10 - via a Konsole after starting up in the 'safe mode'. In
>spite of this, I still do not manage to access the update and software
>install functions of Adept. With Synaptic I have exactly the same
>problem. After giving in the password via the graphical KDE menu, I see
>the computer trying to access Adept or Synaptic during +/- 1 minute.
>After that minute, the process stops simply without any explanation and,
>moreover, without accessing the Adept or Synaptic menu.
>
>I also tried to access both Synaptic and Adept via Konsole. However,
>this attempt did not succeed neither. Does anyone have a clue on how to
>fix this problem?
>
>Below, I summarise for you what happened when I tried to set into motion
>Adept and Synaptic via Konsole. Perhaps someone can find there something
>that helps him or her to provide me with some useful feedback.
>
>Thanks for any possible reply.
>
>Respectfully Yours,
>
>Bas.
>
>
>
>SUMMARY: FAILED ATTEMPT TO ACCESS ADEPT OR SYNAPTIC VIA KONSOLE
>===================================================
>
>Password: (here I gave in the password and pressed at the 'enter' button)

But from the results below, you must not have used the "su -" form, that gets 
you the root paths enabled.

>root at Viaconsensus1:/home/bas# adept
>
>bash: adept: command not found

See above.  Fixable.
>
>root at Viaconsensus1:/home/bas# synaptic
>
>Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
>
>Xlib: No protocol specified
>
>(synaptic:7679): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display:

And in both cases here, x refused because it wasn't started by root, but by 
the login user.

>root at Viaconsensus1:/home/bas# exit (here I gave in exit to leave the
>root mode)
>
>exit
>
>bas at Viaconsensus1:~$ kdesu synaptic
>
>(after hitting the enter button, nothing happened).
>
>bas at Viaconsensus1:~$ kdesu adept
>
>(after hitting the enter button, nothing happened).
>
>bas at Viaconsensus1:~$ su
>
>Password: (here I gave in again the root password and hit the enter button)
>
>root at Viaconsensus1:/home/bas# kdesu adept
>
>Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
>
>Xlib: No protocol specified
>
>kdesu: cannot connect to X server :0.0
>
>root at Viaconsensus1:/home/bas#
>(Here I gut stuck all together.)

And here is I think, the classic reason to not setup a legit root account on 
the *bunbtu's.  This was exactly the problem I had when I did that.  I was 
forced to re-install, and now I just use the sudo command.  To me its a PIMA, 
but it does work.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Sticky bits on disk.