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I can't run firefox from a sudoed python script that drops privileges to normal user. If i write

# sudo python
>>> import os
>>> import pwd, grp
>>> uid = pwd.getpwnam('norby')[2]
>>> gid = grp.getgrnam('norby')[2]
>>> os.setegid(gid)
>>> os.seteuid(uid)
>>> import webbrowser
>>> webbrowser.get('firefox').open('www.google.it')
True
>>> # It returns true but doesn't work
>>> from subprocess import Popen,PIPE
>>> p = Popen('firefox www.google.it', shell=True,stdout=PIPE,stderr=PIPE)
>>> # Doesn't execute the command

I think that is not a python problem, but firefox/iceweasel/debian configuration problem. Maybe firefox read only UID and not EUID, and doesn't execute process because UID is equal 0. What do you think about?

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67% accept rate
But why are you trying to write a python script to be ran as root to do this. What is the objective? – theotherreceive Jul 15 '09 at 20:27
The script works with network in a low level layer, so it must run as root. I think there is nothing wrong to drop privileges in the right way, and then execute firefox. But it doesn't works. – Emilio Jul 15 '09 at 20:39
Does Python's Popen work with gui programs? Perhaps the problem is not where you think it is. – Telemachus Jul 15 '09 at 20:55
Firefox will run as root, so the concern you have in the last part of your question isn't the issue. – Avery Payne Jul 15 '09 at 20:56
Is it a problem if I cross post it on stackoverflow? – Emilio Jul 15 '09 at 22:01
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6 Answers

up vote 1 down vote accepted

You have to export environment variable named DISPLAY with value ':0.0'. That might make it work. Ask on stackoverflow if you don't know how to export environment variables using python.

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up vote 1 down vote

The problem is it can't access the display on the X server, is it running? I wouldn't recommend running firefox with root permissions, that'd be like running IE on a windows box.

You said in a comment that you was launching it in a lower run level. The error is because you're launching firefox in that lower level before X comes up with an active display. Delay it's running until X is up.

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+1 for "like IE on windows" – theotherreceive Jul 15 '09 at 20:31
X server is running, and i'm not running firefox from root privilege, but i've dropped it to 'norby' normal user. – Emilio Jul 15 '09 at 20:43
is it running at execution time? – Malfist Jul 15 '09 at 20:45
sure! =) I'm not a linux newbie – Emilio Jul 15 '09 at 20:46
Can the user launch it normally? Can you launch it with fakeroot? – Malfist Jul 15 '09 at 20:48
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up vote 0 down vote

You really really shouldn't do this. Like, really.

Why are you trying to?

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up vote 0 down vote

First, you would normally want to use gksu or gksudo or sux to get root privileges for an X application. Second, why are you using sudo on Debian? (I mean is sudo even enabled? It's not by default on Debian, as opposed to Ubuntu or OS X.) Third, I can't think of any circumstance where you actually need to run a browser with root privileges.

There are cases when you need a gui application as root - say, you want to edit a system file (/etc/network/interfaces for example), and you're most comfortable editing with gedit. That's not an unreasonable thing to want to do. But you would want to use gksu or a similar utility to transfer the privileges.

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yes, sudo is enabled, but no one is a sudoer – Malfist Jul 15 '09 at 20:28
@Malfist: 6 of one; half-dozen of the other. I take your point, but since in fact many Debian users don't install the Desktop task at all, sudo is often not even installed. Nevertheless, I grant that if you install the Gnome (or KDE or XFCE, I suppose) packages, then sudo gets installed. It's still not the right tool to get gui privileges. – Telemachus Jul 15 '09 at 20:31
Sudo is installed in debian system. I have to execute a browser from a python script that must run as root. I'm only trying to drop privilege and run the browser. Nothing dangerous. – Emilio Jul 15 '09 at 20:32
@Emilio: First, the whole Python script-which-must-be-root -> Firefox idea still sounds like a bad idea. Second, are you sure that your regular user is in the sudoers file? Again, Debian is not Ubuntu. Even if you run Gnome, I don't think that regular users are automatically added to the list of users who can run sudo. I believe that out of the box in Debian only root can. – Telemachus Jul 15 '09 at 20:34
Sudo is not the problem (the user will execute the program as he want, with sudo, gtksudo, kdesudo, etc.), but the problem is that the browser don't works even if i drop privileges in the right way.. – Emilio Jul 15 '09 at 20:37
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up vote 0 down vote

I use sux.

  1. apt-get installl sux
  2. sux firefox

Description: wrapper around su which will transfer your X credentials Sux is a wrapper around the standard su command which will transfer your X credentials to the target user.

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I prefer to find a solution not based on what *su program is used, but to try to run firefox from the script executed by root, but with dropped privileges – Emilio Jul 15 '09 at 20:47
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up vote 0 down vote

I'd guess, you'll have to specify an X-server. I'm afraid I have no idea how to actually do that in python though :-)

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