# cant open kwrite or kedit as root thru terminal



## sreevirus (Jan 24, 2005)

i just noticed this problem:
i cant open kwrite or kedit or gedit as super user thru the terminal, while i can do so when i'm not root...i'm using suse 9.1 professional. 
i never noticed this, coz i usually modified files by logging in directly as root and didnt use the terminal much.
any1 facing such problem? why is this happening? any answers?
thanx


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## GNUrag (Jan 24, 2005)

sreevirus said:
			
		

> i just noticed this problem:
> i cant open kwrite or kedit or gedit as super user thru the terminal, while i can do so when i'm not root...i'm using suse 9.1 professional.


This is not a problem, but a security feature that is provided by X-Server so that no one else can run his processes in a x-server owned by another user. As you know, X-Server is a very versatile Windowing System where in one can use the display of another machine.. even across the network. X-Server maintains an access control so that no one else can use your desktop.

So when you login as root, then Xserver does no allow the root user to use the display owned by the normal user. For allowing root to use your desktop, the normal user has to disable this access control by giving * xhost + * 



			
				sreevirus said:
			
		

> i never noticed this, coz i usually modified files by logging in directly as root and didnt use the terminal much.


Next time follow this exact procedure.
* $ xhost + 
$ su
# gedit*

the * xhost + * command will disable the access control, so that all the users logged onto your system can use the display window owned by you.



			
				sreevirus said:
			
		

> any1 facing such problem? why is this happening? any answers?thanx


Everyone can face this situation. As i said, this is not a problem but a security feature.


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## sreevirus (Jan 24, 2005)

thanx for the reply GNU, i thot it was a problem coz in fc3, i cud do those things as root...
anyway, ur reply cleared it up for me.
thx again


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