Re: [Usability] doing root stuff as normal user without shell or any obscure methods - increasing usability with just a text box

[Brian Skahan <bskahan etria com>]

On Wed, 2004-09-22 at 04:02 -0700, Linux Power wrote:
> In mandrake/redhat when accessing control panel as a
> normal user, it ask for root password to continue. 
>
> This feature should be implemented all over gnome
> desktop. if a user doesnt have permission to do a
> tasks (copy, del, rename files, open a movie, play
> mp3,
> browser a folder...) rather than giving a message that
> "not enough permissions..." it should provide a text
> box to enter root password so that the operation can
> be continued without having to repeat it again from
> root/sudo account.

Rather than ask for the root password, which users may not have, a better option may be the MacOS method, which is analogous to sudo rather than su.  If the user is in a group thats allowed to sudo a task, they enter their own password, not the root password.  People hate entering one password, let alone needing to know 2.

This would require coordination with the Distros possibley through LSB or freedesktop, and gnome-system-tools user module would need UI for it.  

It's definitely an issue for Gnome and Linux on the desktop though, and it needs a better resolution than per-distro workarounds.

-Brian

--
Brian Skahan <bskahan etria com>
Etria, LLP

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