[KDE 4] Cannot get admin privileges in KDE4.0 System settings (Date/Time, Login Manager)

screenshot attached

I can confirm this bug. Same situation for me. Running "kdesu systemsettings" opens the KDE 3 version of systemsettings. So no chance to configure there. Only chance is to run "/usr/lib/kde4/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu /usr/lib/kde4/bin/systemsettings" which opens the new systemsettings with root priviledges. So it is possible to change "Date/Time" or "Login Manager".

Running it as Martin suggest from the shell works for me. It would be better to have a password prompt for modules that require admin privs.

Note that running it like this:
$ kdesu /usr/lib/kde4/bin/systemsettings
QMutex::lock: Deadlock detected in thread -1235896640

I think is due to "kdesu" being the kde3.5 kdesu ?

This functionality seems to be missing in KDE itself.

I'm having the same problem and have all the updates applied today, March 31, 2008.

I can confirm this with the previously released kubuntu 8.04

Should this be "low importance" if it prevents configuring system-wide settings without using a command line?

The same problem exists in kubuntu-kde4-8.04-alternate-amd64.iso

It should be a fairly high priority, if it is easy to fix. It certainly upsets and confounds those GUI-oriented people I am introducing to Kubuntu.

I confirm this bug in kde 4.0.4. /usr/lib/kde4/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu /usr/lib/kde4/bin/systemsettings works and I quote Thomas K....
After 4 month to report this bug, change to high importance please

Hmm. /usr/lib/kde4/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu /usr/lib/kde4/bin/systemsettings is a work-around, but really defeats the purpose of a GUI-based admin tool.

Unfortunately the importance is labeled, "Changeable only by a project maintainer or bug supervisor"

I confirm the bug as of today.
No single systemsettings module allows administration rights.
The "/usr/lib/kde4/lib/kde4/libexec/kdesu /usr/lib/kde4/bin/systemsettings" workaround doesn't work but rather blocks the application: hard kill needed.
Moreover, a number of modules is missing, like the "Users" and the "Printers".
Should I revert back to KDE3 for a real solution?

You can check the status on KDE bug system as well:

http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=151669

This is solved for the Time/Date module in KDE 4.1 beta 1.

Is this a distribution related bug or a KDE specific one?
Moreover I'd say it's a regression bug: it wasn't there with 3.5.8: is there any plan for "backporting" the fix?

This is not distribution specific.
And not a regression since KDE 3 uses kcontrolcenter and KDE4 uses systemsettings. They are not the same.

enzo:

there are some workarounds to do GUI management in KDE4.0x:

*if you have kde3 installed on the same machine you can easily use the KDE3 versions of "kcontrol" or "systemsettings" to gain root privileges.
*if you want to manage printers on a box with CUPS installed, point your browser at localhost:631 or subsitute localhost for an IP address.

lydia:
I haven't seen the solution in KDE4.1 so the method may already be different, but it would be nice if the visualisation of being root in systemsettings could be less ugly and more subtle than the red box border in KDE3

thanks!

Still exists in kubuntu-kde4, thanks for suggestion ($ kdesu /usr/lib/kde4/bin/systemsettings), it solved the problem.

The admin mode in kde4 systemsettings is planned for kde 4.2 as you can read in the feature plan

http://techbase.kde.org/Schedules/KDE4/4.2_Feature_Plan

Status ↓ Project ↓ Description ↓ Contact ↓
TODO System Settings add Administrator mode button ? <?>

So this is not a bug and not a (k)ubuntu problem - I am sorry (looking forward to it myself).

This bug was fixed in the package kdebase-workspace - 4:4.1.1-0ubuntu1

---------------
kdebase-workspace (4:4.1.1-0ubuntu1) intrepid; urgency=low

  [ Steve Stalcup ]
  * New upstream release
  * Removed kubuntu_34_show_systemsettings_in_menu patch
  * Removed debian/cdbs dir (obsolete)

  [ Harald Sitter ]
  * Removed THIS_SHOULD_GO_TO_UNSTABLE from debian/rules obsolete)
  * Update MAKESHLIBS_ARGS for libkwineffects1 with 4:4.1.1 as version
  * Update the kdepimlibs5-dev build-dep to 4:4.1.1
  * Add hal as Required-Start and Required-Stop to KDM's init script
  * Update debian/not-installed
  * Install kcm_keyboard's documentation
  * kde-window-manager conflicts kdebase-runtime-data << 4.1 (LP: #254284)
  * Add kubuntu_11_fix_root_only_kcms.diff to start KDM's KCM using
    kdesu/kdesudo. Thanks to Lukáš Tinkl and Fedora! (LP: #184491)

 -- Harald Sitter <email address hidden> Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:30:38 +0200