Re: Is there any way to fix Software Update in Standard user accounts?

Jamie Kahn Genet <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Jamie Kahn Genet <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Ian Gregory <foo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 2008-04-20, Jamie Kahn Genet <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Well, I'm obviously missing something because I cannot see how to edit
in visudo. It's man page is useless.

As the second paragraph of the man page explains, visudo is not an
editor. What it does is lock the sudoers file, invoke an editor (by
default vi) and then parse the edited file for syntax errors before
allowing it to be saved.

If you are not familiar with vi then you will need to learn the basics,
either from "man vi" or one of the many beginners guides to be found on
the web.

But if you can't edit files or read a man page perhaps you are not ready
for using sudo yet anyway:-)

Ian

The first line of visudo's man description says it edits the sudoers
file. Obviously I was foolish to read anything into that...

Anyway, never mind that. Perhaps you can tell me how to quit visudo?
Because I cannot see any way to interface with this CL app in the way I
have with other CL apps like ... well, man for example. Or lynx. Or any
CL app I've been able to comprehend (my comprehension usually depending
on an understandable man file).

Quitting Terminal anyway leaves me with an error about a copy of the
sudoers file in a temp directory, IIRC (this was last night and I'm not
keen on running it again and getting stuck).

Also I'm experiencing slow launching of apps and beachballs since this.
I thought you said visudo isn't an editor? So why did it create a temp
version of the file? Anyone know what might be causing these slowdowns?
Could visudo have corrupted my sudoers file? Would that cause these
symptoms? Hardly any CPU cycles are being used.

Also - thanks for the snarky comments. It's a big help as I deal with
trouble after trouble with my now not-so-new Mac and really cheers me
up. For a moment I almost forgot I've wasted over $3000 on this lemon.
So thanks very much indeed.

*heads back to old G3 iMac running 10.3.9 - which actually works damn
near flawlessly - for the rest of the evening*

TIA,
Jamie Kahn Genet

Oh christ, I think I have deleted most of my sudoers file. Almost all of
it is missing when viewing it in visudo (which I still cannot quit with
the instructions in it's man page). How the f**k did that happen without
warning if it's NOT an editor? WTF do I do now?

I do not f**king believe this. WTF is 'x' deleting stuff in visudo???
In the man page it SAYS 'x' quits without saving! But it DOESN'T!!!

*swears like a sailor*
*
Where the f**k does this leave me?

Ok, litle bit of unjustified panic there... *blush* Er... NM :-D *might
never live this down* *sigh*

Regards,
Jamie Kahn Genet
--
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
.

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