PCManFM - Open as Root?

[Robin]

The PCManFM file manager had an "Open Current Folder as Root" option under Tools when I used it in the other distro. It does not appear in Salix at all, and it doesn't seem to be an option in Thunar either.

I tried using "su" in a terminal to open PCManFM but I apparently was not root when it opened. I tried logging in as "root" from the Login screen and was told, "Administrator cannot log in from this screen."

All I wanted to do was add some wallpapers to the three default LXDE ones, but I don't have permission to do drag-and-drop from /pictures to /usr/share/lxde/wallpapers. Ordinarily I would have simply used the "open as root" option that used to be in PCManFM to do so. How do I run PCManFM as root?

Sorry to ask such a newbie question, but neither Duck nor Google nor the forum search feature led me to any solution.

[Akuna]

If you open a terminal you can log in as root using su:

Code: Select all

$ su

You will be asked for root's password, (after which the prompt will change showing you are now root) and then you should be able to launch thunar, pcmanfm or any other program for that matter.

Code: Select all

# thunar

Of course this comes with all the usual warning that you could easily endanger your system with a mere unhappy click.

Alternatively, you may want to use simple CLI commands to copy your wallpapers:

Code: Select all

# cp /path/to/your/pictures/whatever.png /usr/share/lxde/wallpapers/

Simply replace /path/to/your/pictures/whatever.png with the real absolute path of each file you want to copy

In this thread you will find good bash documentation for beginners which you migth find helpful:
http://www.salixos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=852

[gapan]

Why? Why? WHY?

Why do you think you need to be root to change your user's wallpaper? This is insane. There is absolutely nothing, nothing, NOTHING!!!! the root user has to do with it. This only tells me that the idea to remove that option from pcmanfm was absolutely great.

Just right click on your desktop, choose Desktop Settings and change the wallpaper from there.

[Robin]

LOL, no, I needed to be root to add wallpapers to /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops (or usr/share/lxde/wallpapers) from which to choose. I'm sorry I didn't make that clear.

I have collected some really nice wallpapers that I wanted to use, but you can only choose from among the wallpapers that are already in those directories, and root access was required to add my collected wallpapers.

My apologies for not being very clear.

[gapan]

And what makes you think you need to add wallpapers anywhere in order to use them? You can just use them wherever they are in your hard drive (as long as you have read rights on them).

[Robin]

And what makes you think you need to add wallpapers anywhere in order to use them? You can just use them wherever they are in your hard drive (as long as you have read rights on them).

Okay, so I've learned something else now. I'm still a newbie, y'know. But having the wallpapers in the "designated" wallpapers folder makes selecting them from the Desktop Settings menu easier.

Thank you for the further education!

[Akuna]

Actually if you keep a centralized spot for favorite wallpapers in your own personal documents, it makes it easier to not loose them next time you upgrade your system as you are less likely to forget to backup your personal documents than any odd files you happened to add to your system-wide filesystem over the course of a few months.

Otherwise,I don't use LXDE much, but in Xfce, you can right click on any image file to set it as your desktop background. Couldn't be any simpler... No need to use the desktop setting dialog and specify a path that is not in the DE default location.

[Robin]

I wanted another look at LXDE since I hadn't played with it in a year and it was "under heavy development" (read: Beta) at the time. It was kinda lame back then, but fast. My big brother says it looks like Windows 98.

I just wanted to see if LXDE had made any progress since I last played around with it. I guess it has, but I still think it's lame compared to Xfce. So I've added Xfce and dumped all the LXDE stuff (except PCManFM).

Thanks for all the help, Gapan and Akuna! I'm learning alot as I go. The new school year is starting and I'm going to be really busy now, but I have my system all fixed up nicely now, just in time for the new semester.

Thanks again!