root user and any GUI

[Jeremy C. Reed]

> > run a terminal and type
> > xhost +root
> > sudo su
> > xterm
> 
> 
> I remember now having to do this years ago.  It still begs the issue of how
> to actually run some of the gui apps but that is another subject entirely.
> However, xhost +root responds with
> 
> xhost:  bad hostname "root"
>
> The man page clearly shows the argument can be a host or a user name so
> either it is rejecting root or there is additional syntax. E.G. I tried

The man page is unclear. It needs an "@" after the username. Also the code 
says "hostname" even if was a user.

> xhost +root at ldesk which also fails with:
> 
> > root at ldesk being added to access control list
> > X Error of failed request:  BadValue (integer parameter out of range for
> > operation)
> >   Major opcode of failed request:  109 (X_ChangeHosts)
> >   Value in failed request:  0xfe
> >   Serial number of failed request:  7
> >   Current serial number in output stream:  9

I get same. Looking at code, but don't know. I will research this.

"sudo xterm"  worked for my on Ubuntu.

Usually it doesn't on other systems I use.

Also try as root:

 export XAUTHORITY=/home/yourloginuser/.Xauthority

And then you can open X clients as root. (I already have that as my normal 
user account on Ubuntu and sudo doesn't lose this environment variable.) 
You may also need to set HOME again.