Restore Default Permissions

Alright, somehow, I just messed up my permissions. How do I restore default permissions for my user? Whenever I try to save a system file, I get the "You don't have enough permissions to save this file." error.

 

What file(s) are you trying to modify, and are you trying to modify it as a regular user?

 

Trying to modify /etc/default/acpi-support. I can read it but when I try to save it, I get the above error message. Oh, and I don't want a sudo or kgsudo command. It worked before, now it doesn't.

 

are you logged on as administrator? did you disable/offset any privileges?

 

I don't think I intentionally disabled any privileges and I'm logged in with the account I created when I installed Linux.

 

oops. didn't realize this was a linux thread and you were using linux. good luck finding your answer.

 

See if this helps.....I'm still looking because I've done that before http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/ubuntu-admin-group-permissions.html

 

Another thread at the Ubuntu forums that may apply

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=631161&highlight=restore+default+user+file+permissions

 

You should have to be administrator to modify ANYTHING in /etc. That's just good security practice. I have the feeling that the file has proper permissions, and what happened before was that you still had a "life" sudo session running, so it automatically let you re-request root permissions transparently without having to retype your password.

Here are the permissions on that file as default:

Code:

pita@pita-t61:~$ ls -l /etc/default/acpi-support
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2155 2007-09-19 03:59 /etc/default/acpi-support

It's owned by root, everyone can read it, and only root can write. Use kgsudo... that's what it's there for. Linux loses it's security benefit over Windows if you take off those permissions.

 

Pitabred...I think you typo'd gksudo above....

 

Pssh, my account IS Root. I don't need no sticking "sudo"!

 

the point of not using root, or not having root ssh access, or disabling telnet access, etc, is not to keep the user, you, from harming the system, but to protect your system from the malicious behaviour of others. now you may live in a cave or not have network access or not have anything important to keep people away from so it may not affect you but i would prefer to keep my midget donkey porn out of the hands of others. however, i now know half your login. all i have to figure out is your password.