Need root permissions to mount a USB?

I’m running into a weird permissions issue that I can’t figure out. Whenever I log in I get a dialog saying that authorization is needed to mount /dev/fd0 (floppy disks), and I can’t mount a USB flash drive without needing to type in the root password. As far as I can tell, it’s a configuration issue with policy kit (though the default setting says it should work…) or udisk, but I haven’t been able to figure out what’s actually going on.

This is on a system running openSUSE 12.2 with GNOME 3.6, somewhat recently upgraded from 12.1 (read: not a fresh install).

Any tips?

IIRC I saw a request in a clean 12.2 Gnome install (unpatched) for a password to mount a USB
I ignored it
Patched the system and it works normally now.

But your situation is different

What does this show:

zypper lp

I have same problem on all machines where I upgraded from 12.1 to 12.2 with ‘zypper dup’. I’ve tried to play with some polkit settings, but it doesn’t seem to have any effect.

On 10/02/2012 06:36 AM, kog13 wrote:
>
> I get a dialog saying that authorization is needed to
> mount /dev/fd0 (floppy disks)

and i guess you don’t have a floppy disk in your machine…

there are bugs being worked in which apparently something is going on
with the floppy drive and 12.2:
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=783131
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=779502

and, i can’t find it now :frowning: but there was a note somewhere about
something like this in the mail list, which if i recall correct
used/tried this workaround:

reboot and go into the bios and disable the floppy drive

but, read my caveat first.

let us know how is goes, please…


dd
http://tinyurl.com/DD-Caveat

On 2012-10-02 09:56, mjakl wrote:
>
> I have same problem on all machines where I upgraded from 12.1 to 12.2
> with ‘zypper dup’. I’ve tried to play with some polkit settings, but it
> doesn’t seem to have any effect.

Review all rpmorig rpmnew files.


Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

These are only rpmbew files I have
/etc/postfix/master.cf.rpmnew
/etc/postfix/main.cf.rpmnew
/etc/sysconfig/SuSEfirewall2.rpmnew
/etc/pure-ftpd/pure-ftpd.conf.rpmnew
/etc/pulse/client.conf.rpmnew
/etc/sudoers.rpmnew
/etc/pam.d/login.rpmnew
/etc/dhclient.conf.rpmnew
/etc/samba/smb.conf.rpmnew
/etc/inittab.rpmnew
/etc/ssh/sshd_config.rpmnew

Only thing that can be connected to this issue is login, but it has only these differences:
sudo diff /etc/pam.d/login.rpmnew /etc/pam.d/login
7c7
< session required pam_loginuid.so

> session required pam_loginuid.so
9c9
< #session optional pam_lastlog.so nowtmp showfailed

> session optional pam_lastlog.so nowtmp showfailed
10a11
> session optional pam_ck_connector.so

On 2012-10-02 13:06, mjakl wrote:
>
> These are only rpmbew files I have

inittab and login scare me. And pam is something that I still do not understand.


Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

I have to go to work, so I don’t have time to test some things (disable floppy in the bios, check rpmnew, etc.), but I’ll give them a shot and report back here tonight with the results.

EDIT: zypper lp shows “no updates found.”

Here are my rpmnew files, not sure if they’ll be useful:

/etc/pam.d/login.rpmnew
/etc/postfix/main.cf.rpmnew
/etc/obs/services/tar_scm.rpmnew
/etc/xinetd.d/vnc.rpmnew
/etc/xinetd.d/swat.rpmnew
/etc/samba/smb.conf.rpmnew

Well, I found a workaround, but it still doesn’t explain why it didn’t work in the first place.

Basically my solution was to create the folder /run/media/<username> (/run existed, but not /run/media or /run/media/<username>) and then use chown to make my user the owner of that folder. After that I can plug in my flash drive and it will mount as expected.

On 2012-10-04 03:16, kog13 wrote:
>
> Here are my rpmnew files, not sure if they’ll be useful:
>
> /etc/pam.d/login.rpmnew
> /etc/postfix/main.cf.rpmnew
> /etc/obs/services/tar_scm.rpmnew
> /etc/xinetd.d/vnc.rpmnew
> /etc/xinetd.d/swat.rpmnew
> /etc/samba/smb.conf.rpmnew

The only one that might be related is the pam.d files. Make a backup of both files, then
activate the rpmnew version, and reboot. If that doesn’t work, you can restore the old one.

Its the only suggestion I can think of.

As to the rest, I usually compare both versions with “meld”, apply the changes I want, and
remove the rpmnew or rpmorig file. I also make a backup of both files.


Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

On 2012-10-04 04:46, kog13 wrote:
>
> Well, I found a workaround, but it still doesn’t explain why it didn’t
> work in the first place.
>
> Basically my solution was to create the folder /run/media/<username>
> (/run existed, but not /run/media or /run/media/<username>) and then use
> chown to make my user the owner of that folder. After that I can plug in
> my flash drive and it will mount as expected.

Oh! That’s a surprise. You will have to script that, because /media is destroyed on reboot.


Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

Hi,

I’m not sure if this is the same problem like I had, but take a look on this one:
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=784175

May it’s of use