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Launch GUI programs as root
Authored by: notmatt on Apr 01, '03 12:39:04PM

You can get a subtle indication of what's running as root and what not if you set root's colouring to the opposite of whatever you use. I use Graphite on the desktop, and root runs as Aqua; anything running as root will be in Aqua (such as Force Quit, as well as anything started as in this hint.)

I've been using this trick forever, since it's a relatively standard Unix thing. Sorry for not sharing.



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Launch GUI programs as root
Authored by: Han Solo on Apr 01, '03 01:50:05PM
That's kinda cool, but how did you change the color scheme for root? (Specifically, how can one do it without enabling the root account -- via sudo somehow?) Seems like it would be a good idea(TM) for Apple to implement this more generally: perhaps a nice red Apple menu icon in such circumstances....

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Launch GUI programs as root
Authored by: ashill on Apr 01, '03 05:18:46PM
Open System Preferences as root.
sudo /Applications/System\ Preferences.app/Contents/MacOS/System\ Preferences


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Launch GUI programs as root
Authored by: pixelcort on Apr 01, '03 05:30:04PM

lol

This shows you that the 'environment for sudo'd apps actually works like it's that user. Very cool.

BTW, IMHO, sudo open App.app is much cleaner than sudo App.app/Contents/MacOS/App . For one thing it won't open multiple copies of the same app, but instead open the existing running copy.



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Launch GUI programs as root
Authored by: ashill on Apr 01, '03 05:39:03PM
Agreed, except that
user% sudo open /Applications/System\ Preferences.app/
opens System Preferences as user, not root; running the file the other way opens it as root.

I'm not sure why this is.

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It's deliberate
Authored by: owain_vaughan on Apr 02, '03 08:06:33AM

'sudo open' used to work for opening GUI apps, but this behaviour was changed to prevent people accidentally doing it...



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