[Gllug] Running X apps as root in Debian

[Nix]

On Thu, 2 May 2002, Paul Brazier muttered drunkenly:
> So is the .Xauthority file a kind of "password" that is needed for a
> client application (running as some user) to connect to the X server?
> But it's the same for all users?

It's a bunch of shared secrets (so passwords, keys, yes); the X server
and clients both grab the appropriate keys from that file for the
connection they think they're establishing (or listening for).

The file is named in the XAUTHORITY environment variable, or is
${HOME}/.Xauthority otherwise, so it's normally per-user.

The X server can pay no attention to your userid (since you might be
connecting remotely, that id cannot be trusted anyway), so if you don't
have the right key, it won't let you in, no matter what user you are.

`xauth list' will show you the keys currently in there.

-- 
`Unless they've moved it since I last checked, travelling between
 England and America does not involve crossing the equator.'
   --- pir

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