Server Tools Don't Prompt for Root Password

[Jeff Vian]

On Sat, 2004-11-20 at 16:34 -0500, Randy Chrismon wrote:
> Sharon Kimble wrote:
> 
> >Randy Chrismon wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>Sorry, should have been clearer. The System Tools are the ones off the
> >>KDE or Gnome menu -- you know, clicking on the Red Hat button. Included
> >>are the Network Device Control, Printing Configuration, things like
> >>that. Of course, I can start  many of them by going to su and typing the
> >>command at the shell prompt but it was far more convenient to click on
> >>the menu item and be prompted for the su password.
> >>Thanks.
> >>Randy
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >Network Device Control from the 'System Tools' menu does not ask for the
> >password, so you're essentially loading it just as a user, whereas if you
> >go to 'System Settings' and load 'Network' then it asks for the password
> >and you can use it as root.
> >
> >Sharon.
> >  
> >
> You are right and I specified the wrong thing. Let me put it this way: 
> any administrative tool off the task bar menu that would require the 
> root user used to prompt for the root user password. Now they only throw 
> up a message box saying insufficient rights. This behavior just happened 
> one day and _may_ have resulted from something an apt-get dist-upgrade 
> did.  I have been totally unable to find anything in message archives or 
> documentation that addresses this. Finally, I have a _very_ vauge 
> recollection from about a bazillion years ago that there is a 
> configuration file, somewhere, that listed applications that should 
> prompt for the root password - this is something different than 
> execution privileges file rights. I may be dreaming about this 
> configuration file since I can't find anything about it, either. In any 
> event, I want the "old" behavior where my administrative tools prompted 
> me for the root password.
> I very much appreciate the feedback.
> Randy
> 

You have already been given the explanation for why some do pop up the
box and some do not.
menu -> system tools -->   points to apps that generally DO NOT require
root privileges.

If I try to open anything from the system tools menu it does not ask for
the root password.

menu -> system settings ->  points to apps that DO require root
privileges. 

If I try to open anything from the system settings menu it does open the
window for the root password.
I also see the same box open up if I run the app from the CLI (system-
config-network is an example)

If you are getting the message about insufficient rights when you are
trying from either the CLI or the system settings menu, then it seems
likely that some configuration has been hosed but I cannot answer where
the configuration is for sure.

It seems that /etc/security/console.apps/  has a lot of files that
provide this information and is likely what you are referring to.  They
may also be the reason you are not getting what you expect.