user # access?

[rikona]

On Wed, 15 May 2019 06:24:39 +0200
Ralf Mardorf via ubuntu-users <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:

> On Tue, 14 May 2019 23:20:39 -0400 (EDT), Robert Heller wrote:
> >Well, you are not going to able to use a GUI out-of-the-box, unless
> >you login to the GUI as root -- not something that is normally
> >possible with an out-of-the-box install of Ubuntu (and is not
> >something that is recomended even on a Linux distro with a real root
> >login).  
> 
> That is generalized nonsense.
> 
> Without root privileges a GUI app such as
> 
>   gparted
> 
> is useless! It is strongly recommended to run the GUI app gparted with
> root privileges!
> 
> My Ubuntu 16.04 install isn't an OOTB install, but among other I've
> got the
> 
> Ubuntu-Mate 18.04.1 live DVD
> Xubuntu 18.10 live DVD
> Ubuntu-Budgie 19.04 live DVD
> 
> at hand.
> 
> Usually I'm using those live DVDs to backup my Ubuntu 16.04 and Arch
> Linux installs, but sometimes I'm using a GUI with root privileges to
> access home of a user with incompatible UID and GID.
> 
> If a file browser is wanted I recommend to install caja when running
> Xubuntu or Ubuntu-Budgie live media.
> 
>   sudo apt update
>   sudo apt install caja
> 
> Ubuntu-Mate comes with it by default.

Sounds like using a Mate DVD on an older unused box might be one way
to go [although not sure it has 2 working USB ports].

> Open the terminal and run
> 
>   sudo -i
> 
> then run
> 
>   caja
> 
> close caja and run another GUI app.

Why close it? It would to seem be able to access the old files on an
attached USB drive, as root, and I could copy them to a second attached
USB disk. But, then, would the copied files be owned by root and thus
not be easily accessable on the second attached USB drive?

> When not using one of those live DVDs consider to start a X session
> instead of a Wayland session. Install the package gksu. After that
> start GUI apps with gksudo. For example
> 
>   gksudo caja

This is what I used to do [but not with caja] even in Ubuntu - it worked
well. I wish there was something similar now. Any reason why there is
not?

Thanks for your many suggestions.

> Regards,
> Ralf
> 
>