Password and read and write issue

[Ramachandra Iyer]

I am unable to install and also copy from download directory. While install, password is required. I have given password for spot. However, not accepting my password, consequently not able to install. Likewise, I was not able to copy from download directory to other location due read and write rights. I would like to get ride of password menace. Please help me.

[williams2]

What are you trying to do?
What Puppy are you using?

Assuming that you are trying to make spot use sudo to have the power of root to install something ...

spot has much less privileges than the unprivileged non-root users of other distros.
spot can not become root.
spot can never become root.
spot can not use su.
spot can not use sudo.

spot can only access files in /home/spot.
spot can not access other parts of the file system.

User root can access any files, and copy/move/delete files anywhere to anywhere.
User root can, for example, move files in /home/spot/Downloads/ to /mnt/home/.

[mikeslr]

Just to flesh-out what williams2 was asking with "What are you trying to do?":

(1) What are you trying to install?
(2) Where and how did you obtain the package you are trying to install?
(2.a.) What application did you use to obtain the package?

Spot has limited permissions. It does not ordinarily have a password. It's limitations are that it can only use files within the /spot folder and applications within that folder can not access locations other than that folder. Depending on what application is used to put files into the /spot folder, the files within that folder may not have root privileges.

(3) Is your /spot folder in /root or /home or someplace else.

A year or so ago when Google-Chrome began publishing versions which could not be run as /root Mike Walsh published SFSes structured so that Google-Chrome would be located in the /spot folder with spot --not root-- privilege. To facilitate the movement of files to and from that folder Mike developed a tool known as spot2root. Originally it worked with /root/spot; later /home/spot. What the tool does is place a launcher on the task-bar. Clicking the launcher opens a GUI which provides a choice of (a) 'spot2root' -moving files from .../spot/Downloads to /root/Downloads, changing permissions during the move or (b) 'root2spot' --changing the permissions of the files in /spot/uploads so that applications running as spot can handle them.
He has since discontinued that project and now builds portables which, although run as spot, assign root privileges to downloaded files.
On occasion I still prefer his previous idea and will rebuild web-browsers located in and run from /spot. So I've kept copies of his spot2root tool. I've attached one. I don't recall if it was a built by MikeWalsh or modified by me.

And Mike's tool provides an easy way to get files out of .../spot/Downloads and into /root/Downloads even if its 'changing permissions' aspect is superfluous.

This one works with /root/spot. I'll explain how to modify it if you have /home/spot; or provide a different version.
Also, yad is a dependency. It includes a 64-bit binary of yad at /usr/bin. It should work with Fossapup64 which I assume is your Puppy. If that assumption is NOT correct let me know and I'll explain what to do or provide a 32-bit version. In fact regardless of what Puppy you are using, I suggest that you
1. install yad via your Puppy's Package Manager;
2. UExtract the attached pet.
3. File-browse into the extraction folder to /usr/bin and delete the yad binary.
4. Repackage the folder as a pet. Then install.

Spot2Root-4.0-amd64.pet

(378.29 KiB) Downloaded 34 times

[Ramachandra Iyer]

I am using fossapup64 only. I have downloaded ( saved in home/spot/downloads) FoxitReader from their website. extracted and got FoxitReader set .run file (like exe file). I clicked the run file and it promoted for installation and provided an option for choosing directory. Accordingly, i have selected destination directory to home/usr/share. Here it asks spot password.

Update : I have copied FoxitReader setup .run file to root/my-applications and installed from there. It straight away installed at opt/foxitreader/foxitrader. No password asked etc. It's working !!!. No printout from qpdfview hence installed Foxit Reader.

[mikeslr]

Congrats.
I have both FoxitReader and Masterpdfeditor. I prefer the latter. rockedge published a version for Fossapup64 here. viewtopic.php?p=8144#p8144. I think it more capable than FoxitReader. For more info, read that post's short thread and its links.

[Ramachandra Iyer]

Sir

Another issue, I cannot save download file other than spot/downloads. (google chrome). How to over come this limitations?.

[T-Biscuit]

Lately, Chrome seems to have gotten unstable in my fossapup64 and maybe EasyOS frugals. It crashes fast and hard upon my touching any key on KB after it launches. This is version 96.0.4664.45.

Travis
running HP Stream 14 (Celeron N3060) and HP 14 Ryzen 3.

PS. Correction: the older fossapup64 used on my HP 14 Ryzen 3 is having no problem at all with the latest Chrome -- typing this slice of humble pie with it now.

[bigpuppyfan]

The probable reason why you were able to install FoxitReader the way you did is because you executed the file from ROX (therefore as root), whereas in your first attempt it seems you were launching it from your browser (therefore as spot). Spot cannot change any files outside /home/spot - which answers your second question. Spot is there as an additional security measure, to prevent any (unlikely) malware from being able to do anything to the OS/PC

If you really want to run your browser as root, the first thing would be to go to Menu->System->Login and Security Manager->Confirgure application to run as spot->Uncheck as needed

Chrome I think might not run immediately as root though. I think a line in the launch script that prevents so would have to be edited/commented out

[mikeslr]

Sir

Another issue, I cannot save download file other than spot/downloads. (google chrome). How to over come this limitations?.

Ramachandra Iyer, did you read my post viewtopic.php?p=41292#p41292? Google-Chrome run as Spot is behaving as it is supposed to behave: It can not download other than to the Spot folder.

Applications run-as-spot do not have access to folders other than the Spot folder.
I doubt that you can run Google-Chrome as Root. Its publisher has built it so that it can't be; and IIRC no Puppy Dev has been able to overcome that restriction.

That is why MikeWalsh originally developed the application spot2root. What that application does, as Root, is change the permission of files you download into the spot folder and moves them to your /root/Download folder.

Did you try the pet I attached to that post? Download, install, and restart-x. An icon should appear on your Task-bar: Green and Red Arrows. Left-Click the icon. Post whether it works or not.

P.S. I see your post refer to /spot/downloads. Linux is 'case-sensitive'. If your download folder in /spot is named 'downloads' with a small 'd', Right-Click it and from the pop-up menu select Rename. Change its name to Downloads with a capital "D". Otherwise the spot2root application won't work.

[kuman11]

mikeslr,
Check your pm's!

[mikeslr]

mikeslr,
Check your pm's!

Hi kuman11,
I just did. I was expecting to find a recent email from you but there last one was 10 days ago. Well, I told you I wasn't really good at checking my emails.

[Ramachandra Iyer]

Now moved from spot/download to root/download. Now able to install !!