KDESU(1)

📦
version 6.8.2 · 2 versions
  • 6.8.2 · arch rolling, epel 10, epel 9, fedora 43, fedora 44, nixos 26.05, nixpkgs unstable, opensuse-leap 16.0 (latest)
  • 6.6.6 · alpine 3.24
, in arch rolling, epel 10, epel 9, fedora 43, fedora 44, nixos 26.05, nixpkgs unstable, opensuse-leap 16.0

👑 KDESU — ok bestie, let's get you root (the ✨nice✨ way)

so like. kdesu is the KDE User's Manual's lil star, and its whole thing is runs a program with elevated privileges. that's it. that's the vibe. 💅

✨ NAME ✨

kdesu — runs a program with elevated privileges 🫶

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

no cap, here's the whole shape of it:

kdesu [-c command] [-d] [-f file] [-i icon name] [-n] [-p priority] [-r]
      [-s] [-t] [-u user] [--noignorebutton] [--attach winid]

kdesu [KDE Generic Options] [Qt(TM) Generic Options]

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so real talk: KDE su is a graphical front end for the UNIX® su command for the K Desktop Environment. it lets you run a program as a different user by supplying the password for that user. and here's the slay part — KDE su is an unprivileged program; it uses the system's su. it's not out here doing sketchy things, it's just a cute little front door. 🚪✨

KDE su has one additional feature (main character energy, honestly): it can optionally remember passwords for you. if you're using this feature, you only need to enter the password once for each command. obsessed. 🎀

this program is meant to be started from the command line or from .desktop files. both valid. both iconic.

and here's the plot twist you need to know: since kdesu is no longer installed in $(kf5-config --prefix)/bin but in kf5-config --path libexec, and therefore not in your Path, you have to use $(kf5-config --path libexec)kdesu to launch kdesu. iykyk. the way it's just... not where you think it is 😭

🦋 OPTIONS 🦋

one bullet per flag, no skipping, we don't do that here:

  • -c command — this specifies the command to run as root. it has to be passed in one argument. so if, for example, you want to start a new file manager, you would enter at the prompt: $(kf5-config --path libexec)kdesu -c Dolphin
  • -d — show debug information. spy era. 🔍
  • -f file — this option allows efficient use of KDE su in .desktop files. it tells KDE su to examine the file specified by file. if this file is writable by the current user, KDE su will execute the command as the current user. if it is not writable, the command is executed as user user (defaults to root).

file is evaluated like this: if file starts with a /, it is taken as an absolute filename. otherwise, it is taken as the name of a global KDE configuration file.

  • -i icon name — specify icon to use in the password dialog. you may specify just the name, without any extension. cute lil glow-up for your dialog 💖
  • -n — do not keep the password. this disables the keep password checkbox in the password dialog. no memory, no notes, we move on. 🙈
  • -p priority — set priority value. the priority is an arbitrary number between 0 and 100, where 100 means highest priority, and 0 means lowest. the default is 50.
  • -r — use realtime scheduling. ⚡
  • -s — stop the kdesu daemon. this is the daemon that caches successful passwords in the background. this feature may also be disabled with -n when KDE su is initially run.
  • -t — enable terminal output. this disables password keeping. this is largely for debugging purposes; if you want to run a console mode app, use the standard su instead. (yes bestie, it's giving "wrong tool for the job," go use su 💀)
  • -u user — while the most common use for KDE su is to run a command as the superuser, you can supply any user name and the appropriate password. pick your fighter. 👑
  • --noignorebutton — do not display an ignore button.
  • --attach winid — makes the dialog transient for an X app specified by winid. 🪟

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

more detailed user documentation is available from help:/kdesu — either enter this URL into Konqueror, or run khelpcenter help:/kdesu. ✨

🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀

run kfmclient as user jim, and show the Konqueror icon in the password dialog:

$(kf5-config --path libexec)kdesu -u jim -i konqueror kfmclient

look at that. clean. efficient. ate. 🔥

💜 AUTHORS 💜

KDE su was written by Geert Jansen <g.t.jansen@stud.tue.nl> and Pietro Iglio <iglio@fub.it>. legends, fr fr. 🫶

⭐ AUTHOR ⭐

Lauri Watts <lauri@kde.org>

  • Author.
💡 friendly reminder from your girl: this whole page is from the K Desktop Environment crew, dated 2010-09-18, and it lives in the manual as KDESU(1). screenshot it, bookmark it, tattoo it, whatever works. bye bestie, go elevate those privileges responsibly 💅🌸✨
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