[Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

ch.wise · 2011-09-08 03:17:47

Hi, I'm relatively new to Linux, and this question is probably n00b-worthy, but my administrative (sudo) password has stopped working at a very selective level. Within Terminal, my sudo password works just fine, but just recently when I tried to run a Debian package I had downloaded as a standalone package (not using sudo apt-get update), a dialog box popped up asking me to grant the program "administrative rights" to run. As I normally do, I entered my regular sudo password, but this time the password was declared incorrect, and after three attempts the program shut down. Have my sudo privileges been curtailed somehow, or is there another administrative password on the machine besides my own root one? Very bewildering...

Thanks in advance!

Last edited by ch.wise (2011-09-12 00:48:36)

johnraff · 2011-09-08 03:56:14

Hi ch.wise smile

It sounds as if that app is asking for the root password, which is different from your own password that you use to invoke sudo. On default crunchbang the root password isn't even set.

The real issue is why that app needs "administrative rights"? vYTZ5aA If you're a Linux beginner I would be very very cautious about giving root powers to an app you downloaded off the internet, without knowing exactly why it needs those powers and what it's going to do with them. It's much safer to stick with what you can get from the repositories, at least at first.

ch.wise · 2011-09-08 04:18:05

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm having difficulty configuring the wireless card on my netbook, so I've been going through the driver installation steps by downloading the drivers on another computer, then transferring them to the netbook by flash-drive so that I can install them on. Otherwise, I'd happily use the repositories for getting software, but that requires an Internet connection.

What is unusual is that I've installed software through this method before, and my sudo password has always been sufficient to do it. I'm curious as to why the "Administrative" level is now being invoked in this case. Would it be okay if I configured the "Administrative" password to be the same as my sudo one?

anonymous · 2011-09-08 04:42:01

So how are you trying to install these Debian packages? Try:

gksudo gdebi packagename.deb

Awebb · 2011-09-08 05:36:06

How about...

sudo dpkg -i package.deb

??

johnraff · 2011-09-08 14:55:07

gdebi will also get dependencies for you.

ch.wise · 2011-09-12 00:41:57

In the end, I just changed the root password to my sudo password by running "sudo passwd root." I'm just installing Debian packages from the repos because I don't have an internet connection right now. I'll be careful, though. Thanks for the input!

gurtid · 2011-09-12 06:42:54

r u running standard #!? and i assume it's xfce.

i have not had this issue in cb openbox but have had similar issues with debian wheezy xfce

Last edited by gurtid (2011-09-12 06:43:49)

Awebb · 2011-09-12 08:39:03

Well done. I think this is something even I would want to see in the cb-welcome script :-)

ch.wise · 2011-09-12 16:40:36

Agreed, but there is a good reason why Linux protects people from running unrecognized software without approval. That's one of the reasons why Windows is so easily exploitable by malicious programs.

@gurtid: I'm running standard 64-bit #! with Openbox. I'd never encountered it either until it suddenly appeared while I was trying to use the package installer despite having done it successfully using my sudo password numerous times before.

CrunchBang Linux

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#1 2011-09-08 03:17:47

[Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#2 2011-09-08 03:56:14

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#3 2011-09-08 04:18:05

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#4 2011-09-08 04:42:01

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#5 2011-09-08 05:36:06

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#6 2011-09-08 14:55:07

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#7 2011-09-12 00:41:57

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#8 2011-09-12 06:42:54

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#9 2011-09-12 08:39:03

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

#10 2011-09-12 16:40:36

Re: [Solved] Administrative rights problem - sudo vs. root

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