Admin vs. User Account and running apps

[ksgant]

Ok, I've got my computer set up with a separate Admin account and the account I use everyday: my "user" account.

But there are some applications I can't run at all as the User. For instance, how do I run Onyx? I've tried to run it through the terminal while I "su" into my admin account, but it says "You are not authorized to manage the computer".

Ok, so then I try a "sudo open -a onyx" and I get the same message. So does this mean I have to totally log into the admin account just to run Onyx, even though I'm trying to invoke it through the terminal as the admin?

It's problems like this that make it a pain to not run as the admin, but it's just because I'm ignorant as to how to do this. Can anyone help?

 

[jeremy.king]

I always thought apps that require admin access will prompt you for an admin username/password. Is this not happening for you? You shouldn't have to launch these from terminal. When the prompt comes you won't use your "user" username/password, instead use the "admin" username/password. Hope that makes sense.

 

[WildCowboy]

OnyX won't let you do that...not sure why. But the vast majority of apps will allow you to simply enter an admin name and password if they require admin privileges to run.

 

[jeremy.king]

OnyX won't let you do that...not sure why.

Sinners...

OP, since Onyx is really for maintenance, is it that much of a hassle to switch users?

 

[mkrishnan]

How much of a security flaw is it to put your non-admin user on the sudoer list? I've encountered one or two other applications that do not behave correctly for non-admin users (i.e. were not written correctly).

But... if your GUI apps can allow you to ask for a user name and a password to do admin-level activities, I'm not sure technically how you would make your system more vulnerable or anything by placing your user on the sudoer list (so you could sudo open onyx), as a password request would still have to be made.

You would still retain benefits such as forcing the user to authenticate to write to the /applications folder, etc.

What do people think?

 

[ksgant]

Sinners...

OP, since Onyx is really for maintenance, is it that much of a hassle to switch users?

no, not really a hassle, was just wondering if there was a way of doing it from the non-admin account using sudo. But also, Onyx is more than just maintenance and there may be some things in there I'd like to tweak on the fly to try out...but can't unless I'm in the Admin account. No big deal really, just a minor hassle.

I always thought apps that require admin access will prompt you for an admin username/password. Is this not happening for you? You shouldn't have to launch these from terminal. When the prompt comes you won't use your "user" username/password, instead use the "admin" username/password. Hope that makes sense.

Well, just clicking on Onyx to launch it in my user account will bring up the prompt for the admin username/password....but then after than Onyx will always say "You are not authorized to manage the computer". But I guess you answered my question: I can't do it from the User account.