~/.gconf problem

[Colin Law]

On 23 July 2014 14:59, Gene Heskett <gheskett at wdtv.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday 23 July 2014 04:43:29 Colin Law did opine
> And Gene did reply:
>> On 23 July 2014 09:29, Gene Heskett <gheskett at wdtv.com> wrote:
>> > GConf Error: Failed to contact configuration server
>>
>> Google revealed this which contains a solution that might help
>> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gconf/+bug/367169
>>
>> Colin
>
> Fixed it right up, two files there were owned my me and 2 were owned by
> root.
>
> However, my question echo's most of the rest of the posters to that "bug".
>
> Howinhell did root get to own files that we should have owned?

I think that in earlier versions of Ubuntu .dbus may have been owned
by root but this changed at some point.  Is your system one that was
updated from an earlier version?

Alternatively I know that if graphics apps are run using sudo instead
of gksudo that some files can end up getting owned by root, but I
don't know whether that can apply to .dbus.

Colin