[SOLVED] LM 20.3: Update problem with "pkexec"

[templar70]

Run update just few minutes ago. It did perform... partially. Some packets were omitted. The log information is as follows:

1.26@23:25 ++ Install requested by user
01.26@23:25 ++ Will install chromium
01.26@23:25 ++ Will install firefox-locale-en
01.26@23:25 ++ Will install firefox-locale-pl
01.26@23:25 ++ Will install signal-desktop
01.26@23:25 ++ Ready to launch synaptic
pkexec must be setuid root
01.26@23:25 ++ Return code:127
01.26@23:25 ++ Install failed

OK, the pkexec is:

- rwxr-xr-x root root 31032 sty 12 13:33 pkexec

However the update history log shows:

2022-01-26 23:09:25 pakiet policykit-1 0.105-26ubuntu1.1 0.105-26ubuntu1-2
2022-01-26 23:09:24 pakiet libpolkit-gobject-1-0 0.105-26ubuntu1.1 0.105-26ubuntu1-2
2022-01-26 23:09:24 pakiet libpolkit-agent-1-0 0.105-26ubuntu1.1 0.105-26ubuntu1-2

It looks something went wrong with "policykit-1" packet and it prevents me from any further updates. How to fix this?

[karlchen]

Hello, templar20.

pkexec has got the right ownership and the right permissions here still after today's policykit update:

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karl@voyager:~$ ls -l `which pkexec`
-rwsr-xr-x 1 root root 22520 Jan 12 13:34 /usr/bin/pkexec

This suggests that you should be able to resolve your problem and to return pkexec functional again by

• launching a terminal window
• executing the following terminal command:

  Code: Select all

  sudo chmod 04755 /usr/bin/pkexec

• verifying whether the sticky bit is back by executing:

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  ls -l /usr/bin/pkexec

  and comparing the access permissions with the ones to be seen at the top of this post.

As soon as the pkexec issue has been resolved, try to install the remaining updatable software packages.

HTH,
Karl

[templar70]

Hello Karl,
Thanks for your help. I did exactly as you said, however I'm still far from success. There is no "setuid" problem already. Now there is a new problem - with "Update Manager".

The file status is as follows:

-rwsr-xr-x 1 root root 31032 sty 12 13:33 /usr/bin/pkexec

Run the update, a small window flicked on the screen and disappeared. Now I look at the logs:

01.27@22:46 ++ Will install chromium
01.27@22:46 ++ Will install firefox-locale-en
01.27@22:46 ++ Will install firefox-locale-pl
01.27@22:46 ++ Will install libwebkit2gtk-4.0-37
01.27@22:46 ++ Will install gir1.2-webkit2-4.0
01.27@22:46 ++ Will install libjavascriptcoregtk-4.0-18
01.27@22:46 ++ Will install gir1.2-javascriptcoregtk-4.0
01.27@22:46 ++ Will install signal-desktop
01.27@22:46 ++ Ready to launch synaptic
Error executing command as another user: Not authorized

This incident has been reported.
01.27@22:46 ++ Return code:127
01.27@22:46 ++ Install failed

Oops...

Fortunately the command line helped:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

and the updates were applied. But I still worry what will happen the next time. Can you please help me to fix the problem for good?

[templar70]

The new updates appeared. They were installed successfully. The problem is solved. Thanks!