What exactly does this mean? A Google search didn’t reveal a whole lot about this. I’ve noticed in 11.2 that when (for example) I enter my root password to install updates, a little key icon appears in the tray. If I click it (which I did, by mistake ), the updates won’t finish, so this obviously drops the root privileges for the updater applet. (I say “obviously,” I should say, “I guess.”)
For the record, I always choose a separate root password for system administration. Just personal preference.
While I’m on a roll, one other thing has puzzled me for some time now (dating back to my Mandrake 7.0 days with KDE 2): the little “keep this password” checkbox when you enter the root password. Once again, online help hasn’t been very informative. What exactly does this do? Why is this even an option, and when would I want it? I’ve tried clicking it and leaving it unclicked and can’t see any difference in how anything behaves.
Neither is anything even close to a Big Deal™, I’m just curious.
I’m curious as to why it was added, seems to use GTK things under KDE as well as I’ve an ugly looking GTK window popping up… and I’m quite sure that isn’t from the updater itself.
I allready saw this silly thing, but did not pay much attention. Your post triggered me to a bit of experimenting. It shows as long as YaST runs (@caf4926, it is not restricted to the update applet, smpoole7 only stated that he was updating, not saying he used the applet for this). I tried if it was started at every kdesu, but it is not.
In the Right click theree are sme “remove/kill me red crosses” . I did not test if this remove it definitely from your desktop. I am afraid it will return at the next YaST session to the joy of the programmer who made this only.
The checkbox “to keep the password in memory” is allready there for many releases. It keeps the root password for a certain length of tiime (I remember people stating 15 mins) somewhere (?). And indeed, when you have it checked and stop YaST and start it it again, it will not ask for the root password. Again of little comfort imho, and giving some less security. But at least here one can understand why it is there and can decide for oneself if one wants to use it.
), the updates won’t finish, so this obviously drops the root privileges for the updater applet. (I say “obviously,” I should say, “I guess.”)