" Su returned with an error " in KDE [SOLVED]

**Rocket** · 01-30-2007, 03:52 AM

Originally Posted by bas

I just installed Knoppix 5.1.1 to my HDD last night, and I am too having problems w/ superuser. I can do hardly anything. The workarounds posted in this topic provide a little help, but they always wind up making the apps appear in German. Is this an isolated incident? And is their anything to fix this?

I have found for the german problem, kdesu konquer with workaround. Go to etc/default/locale & change lang from de to required lang en_us in my case. You can also do the kde control panel admin settings thru kdesu, save changes, close & reboot. After the etc/default/locale change is done konqueror will be in your set lang. This is based on my exeriance with it.

**JohnnyH** · 01-30-2007, 11:11 PM

I sent the following Feedback to knopper.net. Many thanks to Klaus Knopper for his response, as appended.

> KNOPPIX= 2007-01-04
> Category= feedback Feedback
> Comment=
> Knoppix 5.1.1 installed on Hard Drive: when kdesu is invoked, it
> gives an error message:-
>
> \"Su returned with an error\"
>
> It is reported that this does not happen with Knoppix <= 5.1.0
>
> The error does not happen if invoked by user with root privilege.
>
> Quote from release notes:
> * V5.1.1-2007-01-04 (see also: Release Notes at http://
> knopper.net/knoppix/knoppix51-en.html)
> - Updated kicker and kdebase (while fixing a nasty bug that made
> kicker \"disappear\"
> in all but the first desktop)
> - Updated ntfs-3g (writing speed improvements)
> - sudo helper for kdesu (End-of-Quote) (?)

I really hate the installer.

The workaround for that bug is to re-add the user calling kdesu, to
/etc/sudoers, OR remove the kdesurc config file that enabled
passwordless "sudo" instead of the dialog.

With kind regards
-Klaus Knopper

IMO this information completely resolves this "Su returned with an error" thread.

**onemyndseye** · 01-31-2007, 08:17 AM

Most excellent!!

I just knew it was a config issue

.... I will take a look at that config file tonight!..

Also.. The post above about kdesu and lang issue was indeed fixed by following the method that Rocket posted above... It did fix the issue but the system complained that " en_us " was a invalid setting.. It probably worked since the default setting was invalid the system fell back to the currently selected language.

For default to english set to ` LANG=C `...whohoo! I can finially qtparted in english without issuing "sudo qtparted " from a term

Code:

onemyndseye@exodus:~$ cat /etc/default/locale
#  File generated by update-locale
LANG=C

This can also be changed with the ` update-locale ` command.

Code:

 update-locale LANG=<your lang here>

From what I can see this should probably be added to the current dev of the knoppix-autoconfig in the localization section (i.e. update-locale LANG=$LANG) to make sure your system defaults to your chosen language. update-locale performs some sanity checks on your variables to try to keep everything straight so there shouldnt be a problem there.

I branched this into another Thread: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=111095

**EDIT***
After looking for awhile I didn't find a kdesurc on my system (either in ~/.kde/share/config/kdesurc or /etc/kde3/kdesurc or /usr/share/config/kdesurc)... was verified by a full filesystem search for *kdesurc* . This would explain why I did not see this behavior on my 5.1.0 installation. I would guess that you (and others having this problem) will find this file at the default location or in your home directory and it will contain " super-user-command=sudo " which when coupled with the NOPASSWD: ALL entry in /etc/sudoers would account for the passwordless operation when running from the cd and the subsequent failure after installing to the HD since user "knoppix" is no longer the once calling kdesu. It also explains the "band-aid" fix we found earlier in this thread...adding the user to /etc/sudoers. Either remove the file all together or change the line from:

super-user-command=sudo

-to-

super-user-command=su

**END-EDIT**

Take Care,
-Justin
One Mynds Eye

**JohnnyH** · 01-31-2007, 10:38 AM

Thanks Rocket and Onemyndseye

I can confirm that both locale and su work in my 5.1.1 system as you predict.

(In 5.1.1) kdesurc is in :-

/etc/skel/.kde/share/config/kdesurc
(Leave unchanged if remastering a live CD to preserve the Knoppix 5.1.1. way)

and, for user(s) in an HD-installed system,

$HOME/.kde/share/config/kdesurc
(Change as per Onemyndseye's posting for each user)

Whew !

PS Just seen your new thread dedicated to locale Onemyndseye : excellent move to break it out with its own title.

**minnow** · 05-01-2008, 06:03 PM

Yes, thanks all! By following Klaus' advice I am up and running.

**Jonah** · 05-18-2009, 05:54 PM

OK so there was a link which I conveniently forgot to recall...

About changing two lines in a file somewhere in the vast depths of /home/.kde configuration files.

To change the "sudo" command, which the Live CD recognizes, to "su" which the HD install of KDE recognizes.

I'll find that one soon enough.

I linked to this off a discussion of the error message "this feature only available with HAL" mounting media from KDE as non-root user in a post-install of 5.x

there were a few other links further down the discussion which I have to go back and check and one of them is with the "su" versus "sudo" conflict.

For starting in your own language,(and KEYBOARD!!) important to the next tip... edit in /boot/grub/menu.lst on the line

kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1

add

lang=(your) keyboard=(your)

For me that would be lang=us keyboard=dvorak

This gets me to where in the shell environment everything is in English which I speak read and write instead of am der Deutschlandisch which I don't.

And I can type in "root" without mentally switching over to QWERTY and without making the error of typing "ossk"

So far, so good, yes?

At the login screen hit Ctrl+n and it gives you a console login.

(I also like keyboard navigation, instead of using the mouse for everything. The mouse slows down my typing.)
Login as root and type startx.

Magicko Presto you have your KDE as root.

In your own language.

And Keyboard.