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Auteur: Rick Moen
Datum:  
Aan: dng
Onderwerp: Re: [DNG] Why Debian 8 Pinning is (or isn't) pointless

Following up on 'DE doesn't let user shutdown/reboot'.

I wrote:

> I've heard of some DE glue not working if you lack PolKit and/or upower
> _by default_, but can't remember details. It was something like XFCE4's
> shutdown graphical controls didn't work until you retofit optional
> package blahblahblah.
>
> And my recollection is that you can find the 'retrofit optional package
> blahblahblah' tip in every case I've observed that to be findable in
> five minutes of Web-searching.


So, for example:
http://www.spencerstirling.com/computergeek/shutdown.html

Covers KDE and XFCE4, plus shows how to create shell script
'/usr/bin/reboot' (should be /usr/local/bin/reboot) and make all members
of new system group 'shutdown' able to run it.

Specifically for XFCE4, the key bit is (a) adding users permitted to
shutdown/reboot the machine to /etc/xfce4/shutdown.allow, and (b) add a
passwordless entry in /etc/sudoers for system group shutdown permitted
to run XFCE app xfsm-shutdown-helper. This un-greys 'Reboot computer' /
'Turn off computer' on XFCE4's menus, that otherwise would be disabled
if you lack the PolKit lobotomy.

Where xfsm-shutdown-helper is located is distro-specific. E.g., on
Debian it's /usr/lib/[$ARCH]/xfce4/session/xfsm-shutdown-helper, on
CentOS/RHEL/Fedora /usr/libexec/xfsm-shutdown-helper, etc.

> Personally, if a DE or WM gave me more than five minutes of trouble in
> this area, I'd just fall back on the workaround that's sufficed since
> dinosaur days:
>
> $ su -
> $ shutdown -h now


On reflection, I'd do it the lazy way:

1. Ctrl-Alt-F2 (switch to text console)
2. Ctrl-Alt-Del (initiate reboot).
3. Shut off computer at end of shutdown, before boot.

;->

A dock application for Window Maker called wmshutdown exists,
but I personally don't bother with it.