How to get "Enter Root Password" Dialog Box

[Derick Centeno]

On Mon, 2006-02-13 at 11:52 +0530, Shrinidhi KR wrote:
> 
> Hello Sir.. 
> Iam Shrinidhi, StudenI gone thru the PAM pages but i could not find
> the Solution. .t
> 
> Sir I have designed an simple application. I want it to be run only by
> Super user. 
> But if the user [Normal User] want ro run that application then it
> should prompt me   to enter the Root password. 
> 
> It should Display me the Dialog Box asking ,me to enter the Root
> Password.
> Can anybody help me.... Plz sir.. 
> Waiting For reply.. 
> 
> -- 
> Regards,
> Shrinidhi

Greetings Shrinidhi:

I believe you are describing the different levels of access which users
can be limited to as opposed to root.  Allow me to proceed with that
assumption for a short while.

Linux, similar to Unix in various forms (AIX, Solaris, etc.) can
control, define and limit what any user's access will and should be from
root.  In other words, the administrator of that system as long as he or
she has root (recall that the password for root is also different from
the password each user has) determines that users access to all
facilities, shells, ports on that system via the command useradd and
several other commands or changes to the permissions files of that
system.  Anytime any user attempts to breach that limit or boundary
defined by root, two things happen:

1.  That user is notified their violation will be reported.
2.  The breach is logged beyond the power of the user to stop it.

Suppose you restricted a user to use the csh shell alone.  Linux and all
other Linux track all user interactions and uses of the system's
resources at all times and therefore any attempt -- at any time to go
beyond that or access root or another shell or any other thing root has
determined the user should not do is recorded in a log (which only root
can read) automatically.

Linux/Unix is so efficient in doing this there is no need to write a gui
or other application to do this.  If there is a desire for stronger
measures, one can acquire a program called Tripwire:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/tripwire

This Open Source version of Tripwire is very intense; the commercial
version (www.tripwire.com), as usual is even better.

Before you consider tripwire; it may be useful to develop a more
complete understanding of root or system administration.  There are
quite a few references available on the subject from Red Hat and other
Linux sources.  Quite a few references should be available in your local
University Computer Science library or elsewhere.  

Unfortunately, going further into greater detail is not possible or
beneficial in this kind of environment.  There are however many, many
books discussing Linux/Unix System Administration as a topic.  More
details can be acquired via taking courses and real world work
experiences in Linux/Unix environments.

Oh yes, a last comment.  No user, under any circumstances should ever
have a root password.  If an application is available only within root,
and you choose to allow a user to access and use that application, you
can modify the user account to use that application via permissions.
They could also be allowed to create, see and save files using that
application to their own user directories -- and no other place.  Root
can also restrict the user from making copies so the work cannot be
copied from the directory to any other media, place or network.  
 
The user can do his/her legitimate work entirely via the user's own
password, without their knowing the root password.  This is done via
your knowledge of using root to modify or determine what permissions
that user has access to when you create that user's account.  What that
user is permitted to do, can always be changed -- expanded or made more
restricted by root.

Good Luck ...