gksudo without sudo

[Peter Garrett]

On Thu, 09 Feb 2006 14:15:47 -0700
Tom Smith <tom71713-ubuntu at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I think it's a bad assumption to say that sudo /is not/ configured in
> "server-expert" for no other reason than no GUI is going to be
> installed--if this were the case, why would sudo be configured during a
> standard "server" install?

I'm inclined to agree with this - I think even the "expert" install should
configure sudo - or at least give the user the opportunity to do so .
> 
> Further, I do have a default Ubuntu "Desktop" configuration (expert) and
> the only "admin" group I have is "adm"--of which my account has been a
> member, and I created my account during the installation. Despite this,
> neither gksudo nor sudo worked *until* I configured sudoers.

Right. A number of times on IRC I have seen this happen to people who used
the "expert" install. Easiest thing to do is to add the admin group, and
then add the user to the group, but IIRC this still requires that the line

%admin  ALL=(ALL) ALL

be added to the /etc/sudoers file with visudo.

All round, kind of a headache. I think it's a bit dangerous to assume that
people who use the "expert" install are necessarily clued in to the whole
sudo configuration thing. Lots of people use the "expert" install because
they think it will give them more control, (which of course it will), or
they have special needs that they fear might not be met by a standard
install.

They should not have to jump through this particular hoop, IMHO

Peter