Can not run Programs that Require Root Access

[Ashley Pritchard]

hello,

I have recently installed Fedora 7 on my machine & got it working for the
most part ie...adding DVD, mp3 support etc...but now when I login to my user
account from GDM into Gnome I am not able to use any programs that require
root access. If the Package updater pops up with updates I click on view
packages & it asks for my root password. I enter it & nothing happens & it
does the same thing for all programs that need root access.
I have tried disabling selinux, not installing selinux updates, deleting the
user account & creating a completely new user account with a different user
name & I have also reinstalled the OS because of this issue and here I am
back full circle. I have tried running the program through a terminal. Loged
in as root from my user account I tried running the command 'pup' for the
package updater & I get the following info:

Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/sbin/pup", line 31, in <module>
import gtk
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py", line 76, in
<module>
_init()
File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/gtk-2.0/gtk/__init__.py", line 64, in
_init
_gtk.init_check()
RuntimeError: could not open display

It was suggested to me from someone on a listserve to try this command
'xhost +localhost' & 'kdesu pup' so I did & got the following
info:

[awp@localhost ~]$ xhost +localhost
localhost being added to access control list
[awp@localhost ~]$ su root
Password:
[root@localhost awp]# xhost +localhost
Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

xhost: unable to open display ":0.0"
[root@localhost awp]# kdesu pup
Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol specified

kdesu: cannot connect to X server :0.0
so neither command resolved the issue.

Then it was suggested to that I was actually logging into root the wrong
way. Do not ask me how since 'su root' has been the way i logged into root
since the old red hat days. So they said I should try 'su - root' so I did.
Well it turns out that 'su - root' does the same thing as 'su root' which
is
logs me into root & when I run the command 'pup ' or 'kdesu pup' I get
the
same result as above. Then they suggested useing just 'su' or just 'su -'
to
login to root. Well that does the same thing as 'su root' which is log me
into root but when running 'pup' I get the same result as above. Please do
not give me more ways to login as root.
I can login to Gnome from GDM as root & run all programs that need root
access.
How do I get back access to root from my user account?

-- 
Diolch yn fawr, Ashley