[Bug 1713313] Re: Unable to launch pkexec'ed applications on Wayland session

[Len Ovens]

On Sat, 21 Oct 2017, Norbert wrote:
> At least `gparted` and `synaptic` do not run on default fresh clean
> installation of Ubuntu 17.10.
And as standard software installer does not:
a) pass on querries from the package install (so that jackd can be 
properly installed for example)
b) does not alert the user that a package they are installing has to 
remove another package the user still needs. This can leave the user with 
a crippled system.

I have personally helped a number of people fix botched installs. I have 
never had complaints after the user installs synaptic.

synaptic, though old and worn, is the only GUI installer that is safe to 
use in my experience. It is also fast and provides package information 
that allows trouble shooting package problems.

These extras may be confusing for a new computer user or someone coming 
from windows, but points a and b above need to be addressed if new users 
are to keep using Ubuntu longer than a quick try.

--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1713313

Title:
  Unable to launch pkexec'ed applications on Wayland session

Status in apport package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in apt-offline package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in backintime package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in budgie-welcome package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in caja-admin package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in cinnamon package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in ettercap package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in gdebi package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in gnunet-gtk package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in gparted package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in gui-ufw package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in guidedog package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in hplip package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in italc package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in laptop-mode-tools package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in lightdm-gtk-greeter-settings package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in nautilus-admin package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in needrestart-session package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in nemo package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in policykit-1 package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in scanmem package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in scap-workbench package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in sirikali package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in synaptic package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in thunar package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in tuned package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in ubuntustudio-controls package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in ubuntustudio-default-settings package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in update-notifier package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in xdiagnose package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in xubuntu-default-settings package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in zulucrypt package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  Posting here what gnome says about porting to wayland, and their
  tests:

  GNOME Applications under Wayland
  GTK+ has a Wayland backend. If it was enabled at compile-time, you can run a GTK+ application under Wayland simply by:

  GDK_BACKEND=wayland gnome-calculator
  Applications that use Clutter or clutter-gtk also need the Clutter Wayland backend enabled:

  GDK_BACKEND=wayland CLUTTER_BACKEND=wayland cheese

  https://wiki.gnome.org/Initiatives/Wayland/Applications

  ======> so hope the settings are well set at compile time; maybe a
  rebuilt to get sure all apps are ok.

  
  ********************************************************************************************************************************************

  Steps to reproduce:
  1. Install Ubuntu 17.10
  2. Install backintime-qt4 or gparted application from above list (full may be acquired from https://codesearch.debian.net/search?q=pkexec+filetype%3Adesktop+path%3A*%2Fapplications%2F*&perpkg=1&page=4 )
  3a. Try to launch backintime-qt4 from shortcut "Back In Time (root)" (located in /usr/share/applications/backintime-qt4-root.desktop, it uses pkexec
  ($ cat /usr/share/applications/backintime-qt4-root.desktop | grep Exec
  Exec=pkexec backintime-qt4)
  3b. Try to launch Gparted from shortcut "GParted" (located in /usr/share/applications/gparted.desktop, it uses gparted-pkexec)
  4a.1. Back In Time does not start from GUI.
  4a.2. Back In Time shows error message in console:
  4b. gparted-pkexec does not start, reports error
  $ gparted-pkexec
  Created symlink /run/systemd/system/-.mount → /dev/null.
  Created symlink /run/systemd/system/run-user-1000.mount → /dev/null.
  Created symlink /run/systemd/system/run-user-121.mount → /dev/null.
  Created symlink /run/systemd/system/tmp.mount → /dev/null.
  No protocol specified

  (gpartedbin:12831): Gtk-WARNING **: cannot open display: :0
  Removed /run/systemd/system/-.mount.
  Removed /run/systemd/system/run-user-1000.mount.
  Removed /run/systemd/system/run-user-121.mount.
  Removed /run/systemd/system/tmp.mount.

  $ pkexec backintime-qt4

  Back In Time
  Version: 1.1.12

  Back In Time comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.
  This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
  under certain conditions; type `backintime --license' for details.

  No protocol specified
  app.py: cannot connect to X server :0

  Expected results:
  * backintime-qt4 may be run as root

  Actual results:
  * unable to run backintime-qt4 as root

  Workaround:
  * setting "xhost +si:localuser:root" helps.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
  Package: backintime-qt4 1.1.12-2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.12.0-11.12-generic 4.12.5
  Uname: Linux 4.12.0-11-generic i686
  ApportVersion: 2.20.6-0ubuntu7
  Architecture: i386
  CurrentDesktop: GNOME
  Date: Sun Aug 27 14:23:14 2017
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-08-26 (0 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Alpha i386 (20170826)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: backintime
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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