I have a Lenovo R61 running 64 bit Buster.
It has a keyboard failure - the "h" key is intermittent and my primary account is "Richard" ;/
I have no problem logging in as root.
Two primary questions:
1. is there someway that I can use a USB connected keyboard
as workaround while root?
2. is there some way to switch from "root" to "Richard" without
having to type to the pop-up that shows when using
System->Logout... ?
TIA
Hi Richard,
Am Donnerstag, 12. September 2024, 13:43:49 CEST schrieb Richard Owlett:
I have a Lenovo R61 running 64 bit Buster.
It has a keyboard failure - the "h" key is intermittent and my primary
account is "Richard" ;/
I have no problem logging in as root.
Two primary questions:
1. is there someway that I can use a USB connected keyboard
as workaround while root?
I am not sure, what you mean. If you connect an USB-keyboard into a notebook, then both should work.
2. is there some way to switch from "root" to "Richard" withoutYou can login as Richard, then do "su -" and become root. After this, type "CTRL + d" and you are Richard again.
having to type to the pop-up that shows when using
System->Logout... ?
In X (i.e. in konsole or term or any other terminal), started as normal user Richard, you can type "su -p", then start any graphical programm you nee fro this console. It will run with root rights.
After it just close the terminal or type in "CTRL + d" and you arte back to Richard again.
This is handy, when you need only few applications as root. For eample, when you need to edit a *.conf file as root and you might want edit with "kwrite" for eample. So you need not to logoff and logon as root, just do as described above: start terminal, su -p, start kwrite, CTL + d = finished.
Does this help?
TIA
Best
Hans
I have a Lenovo R61 running 64 bit Buster.
It has a keyboard failure - the "h" key is intermittent and my primary account is "Richard" ;/
It has a keyboard failure - the "h" key is intermittent and my primary account is "Richard" ;/
I have no problem logging in as root.
Two primary questions:
1. is there someway that I can use a USB connected keyboard
as workaround while root?
2. is there some way to switch from "root" to "Richard" without
having to type to the pop-up that shows when using
System->Logout... ?
Solves wrong problem ;}
I couldn't log in as "Richard" at power-up.
But Stefan hints at solution to that problem.
i Ricard,
It has a keyboard failure - the "h" key is intermittent and my primary
account is "Richard" ;/
[ I presume you know tat tis kind of failure can often (sadly not
always) be fixed by cleaning. ]
I have no problem logging in as root.
Two primary questions:
1. is there someway that I can use a USB connected keyboard
as workaround while root?
I can't tink of any reason wy tat wouldn't "just work".
ave you tried?
2. is there some way to switch from "root" to "Richard" without
having to type to the pop-up that shows when using
System->Logout... ?
Probably, and tat probably depends on wat you mean by "switc" and on te
kind of "display manager" you're using (many of tem give you a list of
users from wic you can select by clicking).
You can also (as root) cange your user's name to remove tat pesky
`` letter.
Stefan
Richard Owlett composed on 2024-09-12 06:43 (UTC-0500):
I have a Lenovo R61 running 64 bit Buster.
It has a keyboard failure - the "h" key is intermittent and my primary
account is "Richard" ;/
Instead of a band aid, attack the keyboard with high PSI compressed air and/or
vacuum cleaner while banging on h. If these fail to restore reliability to h, consider trying some aerosol electronic contact cleaner.
Relevant man page to have 'root' edit a user's login name?
Relevant man page to have 'root' edit a user's login name?
TIA
Solves wrong problem ;}
I couldn't log in as "Richard" at power-up.
But Stefan hints at solution to that problem.
Ah, ok, you are in X. Do you now, you can start a second windowmanager as root
without logoff as the other user?
If doing so, you can switch between both with "CTL + ALT + F7" (standard graphical terminalport in debian for first user) and "CTL + ALT + F8" (next graphical port for secon user).
This might becoming handy, when often switch between root and normal user.
Just an idea.
Nice, that your problem is solved!
Have a nice day!
Hans
On Thu, 12 Sep 2024 08:35:25 -0500
Richard Owlett <[email protected]> wrote:
Relevant man page to have 'root' edit a user's login name?
Looks like usermod, according to the first page Google shows for:
debian change user name
On Thu, Sep 12, 2024 at 14:50:23 +0100, Joe wrote:
On Thu, 12 Sep 2024 08:35:25 -0500
Richard Owlett <[email protected]> wrote:
Relevant man page to have 'root' edit a user's login name?Looks like usermod, according to the first page Google shows for:
debian change user name
I prefer vipw(8). But that's just me.
You'll also want to read passwd(5) and shadow(5).
I would highly recommend *not* being logged in as the user whose name
is being changed at the time. Do a direct root console or ssh login.
Unless you have a second unprivileged account that can su/sudo to root
to make the changes to the first account.
You'll probably want to rename the home directory, so mv(1) applies.
If the user has a crontab file, you may want to find that and rename
it as well.
If you're using /var/mail for user mailboxes, you may want to rename
the user's mailbox file too.
There may be other things I can't think of right now.
Didn't seem to work on 2 machines using different flavors of Debian.
Where is that documented so I can run a verifiable test?
On Thu, 12 Sep 2024 08:35:25 -0500
Richard Owlett <[email protected]> wrote:
Looks like usermod, according to the first page Google shows for:
Relevant man page to have 'root' edit a user's login name?
TIA
debian change user name
https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/howto-change-rename-user-name-id/
On Thu, Sep 12, 2024 at 08:35:25AM -0500, Richard Owlett wrote:
[...]
Relevant man page to have 'root' edit a user's login name?
See usermod, option -l.
I'm a firm believer in "If in doubt, *DON'T*" <GRIN>.
Heed the caveats in the man page (and all other places where the user
name might be hidden).
Sounds like some fun.
(Of course you could just edit /etc/passwd, but then you wouldn't get
to see the caveats in the man page: those do matter)
Cheers
Didn't seem to work on 2 machines using different flavors of Debian.
Where is that documented so I can run a verifiable test?
--------------------
You are right. I rechecked this and it does not work correctly, because of a bug in KDE. The
problem is, when starting another session, your former session is locking. But you can not
unlock your session again, even with the correct password. I know about this for more than 3
years and reported the bug long time ago. It is still not fied, but this is not the point here.
--------------------
Apart from this, check it. I am running KDE (plasma) and you get the option "change user"
from the K-menu.
Do this, and you start with the windowmanager you preset in your favourite login manager (I
am using lightdm, but sddm or gdm might work as well, too).
When both windowmanagers are started, you can click every time to "change user" and then
get the option, to chose, to which you want to switch.
--------------------
But as I said before: The former one has a locked screen and can not be unlocked. I suppose,
this is a rights problem and the locking mechanism is set by root and rooit must unloc it. But as
you want to unlock the screen as normal user, it will not work. Maybe sometimes this will be
fixed. However, it does not harm the function of starting a second window managers for another
user.
--------------------
If someone might also confirm of this little bug I mentioned here and knows better than me, he
may just file a little bugreport to the developers of KDE. Maybe he also nows a little
workaround???
--------------------
Hope this helps and makes things clearer.
Best regards
Hans
On 09/12/2024 08:50 AM, Joe wrote:
On Thu, 12 Sep 2024 08:35:25 -0500
Richard Owlett <[email protected]> wrote:
Looks like usermod, according to the first page Google shows for:
Relevant man page to have 'root' edit a user's login name?
TIA
debian change user name
https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/howto-change-rename-user-name-id/
That page demonstrates why I'm cautious about blindly following
Google hits. See post by [email protected] .
On 09/12/2024 07:13 AM, Stefan Monnier wrote:
i Ricard,
It has a keyboard failure - the "h" key is intermittent and my primary
account is "Richard" ;/
[ I presume you know tat tis kind of failure can often (sadly not
always) be fixed by cleaning. ]
I have other symptoms that hint that there's a temperature problem with
key decoding.
I have no problem logging in as root.
Two primary questions:
1. is there someway that I can use a USB connected keyboard
as workaround while root?
I can't tink of any reason wy tat wouldn't "just work".
ave you tried?
Now I have. It works ;}
2. is there some way to switch from "root" to "Richard" without
having to type to the pop-up that shows when using
System->Logout... ?
Probably, and tat probably depends on wat you mean by "switc" and on te
kind of "display manager" you're using (many of tem give you a list of
users from wic you can select by clicking).
You can also (as root) cange your user's name to remove tat pesky
`` letter.
Relevant man page to have 'root' edit a user's login name?
TIA
Stefan
Hi Richard,
exchanging the keyboard yourself might be not a great thing. If it is not an apple computer, where you have to strip the whole computer, most keyboards are
very simple to echange.[snip]
Don't have tools nor dexterity ;/
However the local community college has a computer repair service as
training aid for one of their degree programs.
Having been a tech, there's things I want done that could be valuable background for a new graduate.
On 09/13/2024 03:56 AM, Hans wrote:
Hi Richard,
exchanging the keyboard yourself might be not a great thing. If it is not an
apple computer, where you have to strip the whole computer, most keyboards are
very simple to echange.[snip]
ROFL
The keyboard is not the only problem.
I was an electronics tech back in the 60's and have serviced early color
TVs (CTC2 anyone?), isotope ratio mass spectrometers, control room
equipment for nuclear power plant, etc etc ;}
You learn things in over a half century ;}!
As I said elsewhere:
Don't have tools nor dexterity ;/
However the local community college has a computer repair service as training aid for one of their degree programs.
Having been a tech, there's things I want done that could be valuable background for a new graduate.
Also they have convenient access to parts.
On Friday, 13-09-2024 at 20:17 Richard Owlett wrote:
On 09/13/2024 03:56 AM, Hans wrote:
Hi Richard,
exchanging the keyboard yourself might be not a great thing. If it is not an
apple computer, where you have to strip the whole computer, most keyboards are
very simple to echange.[snip]
ROFL
The keyboard is not the only problem.
I was an electronics tech back in the 60's and have serviced early color
TVs (CTC2 anyone?), isotope ratio mass spectrometers, control room
equipment for nuclear power plant, etc etc ;}
You learn things in over a half century ;}!
As I said elsewhere:
Don't have tools nor dexterity ;/
However the local community college has a computer repair service as
training aid for one of their degree programs.
Having been a tech, there's things I want done that could be valuable
background for a new graduate.
Also they have convenient access to parts.
Richard, please let us know how you go with your laptop.
My son's first laptop's keyboard has a number of keys that seem worn out, making logging in problematic without an external USB keyboard.
Tried cleaning but that did not help, cannot guarantee I did a great job, though.
Works great if we plug in a USB keyboard and mouse. Just not as convenient.
Speaking about Keyboard issues, I have some desktops that I cannot get to bios unless I use a PS/2 keyboard (i.e. they bios does not recognise USB), so I keep a few PS/2 keyboards in the cupboard for when I want to do bios changes. (I hope this makessomeone smile)
You may have already reported the answer to my question, but "does a USB keyboard allow you to log in as yourself and as root?"
Like you I once worked with Colour TVs as it was being introduced, much later than you did...
For historical amusement, in Australia: https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/colour-tv-australia
The colour TV revolution hit Australia 40 years ago, on 1 March 1975
Australia was a bit slow at jumping into Colour TV technology. Hopefully we are a bit faster these days on getting into new technology.
George.
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