Lost my permissions to synaptic !

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Nana

Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

Hello,
Following some probable half-hazardous manoeuvres setting up a lamp server, I cannot access Synaptic anymore. I just don't have the proper rights to it and have no clue as to what to do about it.
Could someone help ?
Thank you much in advance.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Husse

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Husse »

What are the error messages - would be much easier if you included them
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

Hi !
When I launch synaptic from the terminal, I just get a screen saying it opens without administration privileges, and that I won't be able to make any changes. but I can export selected modifications or create a script to download them. I guess I had an error message in the terminal first time I launched it but that was a couple of days ago, did not write it down.
The GUI just won't start from the menu.
Thank you again.
proxima_centauri

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by proxima_centauri »

If you're launching Synaptic from terminal, you need to ensure you start it with root privileges. i.e., something like

Code: Select all

gksu synaptic
When did the menu entry stop working?
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

Hi !
Of course, it launches correctly with sudo.
But from the menu, it does not.
I am not sure when it stopped working. Probably four or five days ago, and I can't remember doing anything but set a symbolic link for my lamp server to my a file in my home. I fiddled with permissions but only on cms files on the server.
Does it help ?
proxima_centauri

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by proxima_centauri »

Try using the menu editor and check the properties of the Synaptic launcher. What path is being supplied?
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

Hi, again.

Had to get off the computer for a while. Here it is :

Code: Select all

gksu /usr/sbin/synaptic
Thank you again for your help.
proxima_centauri

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by proxima_centauri »

So just so it's straight
When you click on the Synaptic icon in the menu, absolutely nothing happens.
And when you run that command (gksu /usr/sbin/synaptic) in terminal it works?
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

Hello again,

Yes. That is exactly what happens !

Any help to you ?
proxima_centauri

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by proxima_centauri »

Can you please post the output of

Code: Select all

cat /etc/hosts
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

Here it is :

Code: Select all

pascale@pascale-desktop ~ $     cat /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1	localhost
127.0.1.1	pascale-desktop

# The following lines are desirable for IPv6 capable hosts
::1     ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
fe00::0 ip6-localnet
ff00::0 ip6-mcastprefix
ff02::1 ip6-allnodes
ff02::2 ip6-allrouters
ff02::3 ip6-allhosts
pascale@pascale-desktop ~ $ 
:)
proxima_centauri

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by proxima_centauri »

Try editing hosts

Code: Select all

gksudo gedit /etc/hosts
and change it so it reads

Code: Select all

127.0.0.1   localhost pascale-desktop
127.0.1.1   pascale-desktop
Any change w/ Synaptic?
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

Sorry, it does not work. :?
proxima_centauri

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by proxima_centauri »

I'll keep searching for an answer but I am pretty perplexed+stumped why Synaptic won't launch from the menu.
Are you using mintMenu? if so try adding the gnome main menu to the panel instead and see if you can launch it from that menu instead.
:?

EDIT:
Also, do other programs that require a root password work from the menu??
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

You're right. Lots of apps won't launch.
I am not sure which usually require a root password but here is a list from the "administration" sub-section of the Mint Menu :

Don't launch :
Mint Assistant
Mint Nanny
Theme installation manager
Firewall config
Disk manager
Gparted

Launch :
Date and time
Users and groups

It is not exhaustive but I guess you can probably draw a "pattern".

The Gnome menu works fine.

(NB: I think I sent a separate message for this. Getting mixed up. Sorry)
Last edited by Nana on Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Nana »

Forgot the most important !

The Gnome menu works fine. Apparently, it is only the Mint menu and the "administration" sub-menu.

Hope it helps.
proxima_centauri

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by proxima_centauri »

Perhaps you should post a new topic under the MintMenu subforum
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewforum.php?f=76

So what we know is that programs which require root priviledges from MintMenu do not launch.
These same programs launch from gnome-main-menu and also from the terminal.
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic ! An error message

Post by Nana »

Hello again,

I turned off the computer, restarted, launched synaptic from the terminal and got this error message :

Code: Select all

(synaptic:8074): Gtk-CRITICAL **: gtk_tree_view_unref_tree_helper: assertion `node != NULL' failed
Maybe that will help ?

Thank you again for your time and attention.
Husse

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic !

Post by Husse »

This seems to be a mintMenu problem
Right click the menu button > Load plugins
Now I think it should launch from the menu again
And please don't play with permissions - it can be hell to backtrack and fix
Nana

Re: Lost my permissions to synaptic ! [Fixed]

Post by Nana »

Hello !

Well, I fixed it by going into synaptic and checking all the mint packages pertaining to desktop.
Was late, so I did not test systematically but a mint-gnome package was not loaded. It must have gone during a "sudo apt-get autoremove" command (I tried a few mail clients and had to get rid of tons of unwanted software --probably will post about mail clients !).
So it's only a hunch that "autoremove" will kick off some mint desktop related packages.

As for playing with permissions, I agree there is no more hair-pulling stuff than permissions on linux, but that goes for end-users as well as developers ! (and what's a Linux desktop for if not for playing around some, huh ?) 8)
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