root authorisation issue

[hnimmo]

@nrickert

You are using the update applet from your desktop to install updates. This uses packagekit in the background. The root authorization probably comes from policykit.

If you want to manually install software, that will still require root. If you want to add repos, that will still require root. But if you are just doing an update using the existing repos, then packagekit/policykit allow that. The assumption is that you approved the original install of the software and the repos, so you implicitly approve update.

At least I think that’s the theory. Personally, I disable the desktop update applet, and use “zypper” at the command line for updates.

Normally, I install notified software updates by starting YaST which requires the root password. However, the above-mentioned software update yoyo doesn’t require the root password at any time. In other words, a process with root privileges is activated at some time during the yoyo without my authorisation.