Run GUI Program as Different User on Debian

debianguirootsusudo

Using a terminal, I can change the running user with su and sudo — but how can I do that by clicking on an icon/shortcut on the desktop/start menu?

If I have to be root to execute I will be asked anyway, but some programs e.g. Krusader and NetBeans sometimes run without root access but then you can't accomplish what you want.

On Windows I simply hit shift and rightclick on it and am prompted for user and password. I guess there is a similarly simple way to do that in Debian as well. (Apart from workarounds like creating scripts such as sudo xyz.)

Thanks in advance!

Best Answer

First off, don't use sudo or su to change users to run a graphical process, or you're liable to have problems down the line (~/.ICEauthority changing owner is a notable issue). Instead, create a shortcut that uses the following command:

gksu -u [user] command

gksu launches a graphical prompt for the user's password, and upon entering the correct password, launch the application as the user specified.

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