How do I run an application as root?

Hi,

how about Pseudo ?


Volker

Hi ToadX,
If it's a cocoa app, you have invoke the executable inside the MacOS directory in the app bundle. However, since the error message said that Warcraft\ III was a binary, I assume that it's a Carbon app. You should be able to run it as root with:

sudo -b /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/Current/Support/LaunchCFMA pp /<Absolute>/<Path>/<to>/Warcraft\ III

Note that the above command is essentially all on one line even though the browser and terminal will certainly have to wrap it.
--
Gary
~~~~
alimony, n:
Having an ex you can bank on.

I made a shell script called sudo_open to do this. It was one of my first shell scripts so it could probably stand some improvement.

sudo -b
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/C
urrent/Support/LaunchCFMApp
/<Absolute>/<Path>/<to>/Warcraft\
III

Once again, I learned something new from Gary. I will have to add this to my script (which currently punts for this type of app.).

Added Gary's line...and credited him (for a change).

Hi Bill,
Well, that's another case of something that I learned here years ago eventually being of value. You never know what tidbit will turn out to be useful.
--
Gary
~~~~
Computer guru, n.
A user that actually reads the manual.

Thanks, Bill. That's a handy script to have.

One question I have: is there a way to run an application starting from Finder as superuser without switching user to root, or do you have to use the command line input?

Boyd

Also might want to have a look at the launch command, one of many cool utilities at http://web.sabi.net/nriley/software/

Hi Boyd,

> is there a way to run an application starting from

Finder as superuser

I may not be understanding what you mean as root is the superuser but there are a variety of ways to make script commands "double-clickable". You can put the following in an AppleScript:

do shell script "/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/Current/Support/LaunchCFM App /<Absolute>/<Path>/<to>/Warcraft\ III" with administrator privileges

Save the AppleScript as an application and you will be able to double-click on it.

You can save the shell script with a filename suffix of ".command" and it will be double-clickable.

Finally, use Sveinbjorn Thordarson's Platypus to turn the script into a double-clickable application.
--
Gary
~~~~
Don't take life seriously, you'll never get out alive.

I've made you an application that you can put in the Finder toolbar:

sudo_opener

Just a reminder (since Boyd's profile lists 10.3.9). AppleScript's "do shell script ... with administrator privileges" in "Panther" uses the insecure method of echoing / piping the "admin" password to ' sudo -p' so that any other user on the computer could potentially see the password in plain text by using ' ps -ax' while the command is executing (or while the programme is running in this case). The suggested workaround is to run the command in the background by appending " &" to the unix part of the AppleScript command.
http://forums1.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?t=14696

I have been told that this is no longer a problem in "Tiger".

Thanks, everyone, I have been away for a couple days, so didn't see this till now. I will try the methods suggested. And thanks for the warning "biovizier".

Boyd

Just to be a pedant:
This is not to do with an app being a Carbon or Cocoa application, but rather being a CFM or Mach-O binary. Carbon applications can be either CFM or Mach-O.

Hi Finlay,
Keep on being pedantic. That's how I learn and I obviously didn't know that a Carbon app could be Mach-O. I guess I assumed they couldn't because I didn't know why they wouldn't be if they could. Anyway, we live and learn; thanks!
--
Gary
~~~~
Information is the inverse of entropy.