[SOLVED] can't launch nemo with pkexec, polkit files issue maybe

[dkebler]

I have a newish install of mint 21 cinnamon

Seems there is some issue with polkit/pkexec

If I try to launch nemo with the context menu "open as root" nothing opens

if I drop to terminal and try

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pkexec nemo
Could not parse arguments: Cannot open display: 

if I try

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 sudo nemo .

then it works

According to my searches it may mean that that there is no polkit file nemo. It seems I might have issues with missing pollkit files for other apps too.
Why did this install fail to get the polkit files set up correctly? How to I fix this short of a fresh install because at this point as I've set up too many other things to start over.

Also having similar problem launching mintsources

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pkexec mintsources

(mintSources.py:164192): Gtk-CRITICAL **: 09:20:50.182: _gtk_style_provider_private_get_settings: assertion 'GTK_IS_STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIVATE (provider)' failed

(mintSources.py:164192): Gtk-CRITICAL **: 09:20:50.182: _gtk_style_provider_private_get_settings: assertion 'GTK_IS_STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIVATE (provider)' failed

(mintSources.py:164192): Gtk-CRITICAL **: 09:20:50.182: _gtk_style_provider_private_get_settings: assertion 'GTK_IS_STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIVATE (provider)' failed

if I run just `mintsources` then I still get the elevation prompt but then it opens. Again an issue with pkexec and polkit

[t42]

what happens if you run

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DISPLAY=:0 pkexec nemo

[dkebler]

no that doesn't work

But

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pkexec env DISPLAY=$DISPLAY XAUTHORITY=$XAUTHORITY nemo

works.

see this good explanation
https://askubuntu.com/a/332847

So the question is WHY is this so in mint21/jammy? in mint20/focal it just worked out of the box.

Something didn't get set up the same as regards polkit and root at least in my install. Or maybe this is just the way it is now? That doesn't make sense why would mint distribute all these desktop files that need elevated privileges that don't work.

[dkebler]

and per that post the polkit doesn have allow_gui set to I don't understand why the display and Xauth are not passed.

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE policyconfig PUBLIC
"-//freedesktop//DTD PolicyKit Policy Configuration 1.0//EN"
"http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/PolicyKit/1/policyconfig.dtd">

<policyconfig>

 <vendor>Nemo Project</vendor>
 <vendor_url>https://github.com/linuxmint/nemo</vendor_url>

 <action id="org.nemo.root">
   <description>Run Nemo with elevated privileges</description>
   <message gettext-domain="nemo">Files</message>
   <icon_name>gksu-root-terminal</icon_name>
   <defaults>
     <allow_any>no</allow_any>
     <allow_inactive>no</allow_inactive>
     <allow_active>auth_admin_keep</allow_active>
   </defaults>
   <annotate key="org.freedesktop.policykit.exec.path">/usr/bin/nemo</annotate>
   <annotate key="org.freedesktop.policykit.exec.allow_gui">true</annotate>
 </action>

</policyconfig>

[dkebler]

Well as it turns out for whatever reasons there are missing pkexec policy files....but why really, mintsources and nemo are integral and should ship with these.

So I had to make them

1. go to /mnt/645/nadal/root/usr/share/polkit-1/actions
2. copy com.ubuntu.pkexec.synaptic.policy to nemo.policy and mintsources.policy
3. edit those and copy and replace synaptic and also make sure the bin path is correct (try which nemo)

At this point if these is going to be an issue on ALL future release might as well keep these file around to just copy in a new install.

IMHO this is a issue with the disto packaging. (as of LMDE5 and LM22)

[t42]

IMHO this is a issue with the disto packaging. (as of LMDE5 and LM22)

There is no issue on LM21. After installation no problem with running pkexec nemo , pkexec mintsources , DISPLAY=:0 pkexec nemo. Consider changes you did to the system after the installation.