This cropped up on a forum recently. It seems a decision has been made to prevent any gui application being run as root.
2nd hand info but it seems no gui app can be secure.
I get cheesed off with this sort of thing as most security vulnerabilities that get exploited tend to be via low level stuff especially when they are connected to the web or via strange things added to code that allow anyone to get in if they know about it.
I haven't read all of it but this thread seems to be getting a lot of reads
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/524150-Executing-Dolphin-as-root-is-not-possible
I was too annoyed to read all of it. The title sums it up.
Frankly as I suspect that the vast majority of people who use Linux desktops are just that, primarily desktop users this is going to lead to a serious loss of users. Also if aimed at trying to match windows for networked pc's, well frankly I don't think so. I saw an interesting write up on merged menu's relating to students and lecturers on a network in a university. If some one thinks it's as simple as that they must be living on planet zod. As an idea clever seems far from what it aught to be called.
The other point of course is that if some one decides to make it work like that they could also add a method of allowing users to use them as root if they wanted to. I assume some gui applications will still be able to make changes that would need root privileges if done in a console but maybe there will be an end to that as well.
I wonder what the chances are of a windows it support person getting to grips with a linux console. If forced I'd probably look for another job.
John
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