-> This sounds like an X windows security problem. If you login -> and run X as one user, then open an Xterm and su to another -> user, that second user cannot run any graphical applications in -> X for security reasons. -> -> So if you loged in and ran X as your normal user account (as you -> should) then did su to change to root account to install Word -> Perfect (as your are told to do) then you have a permision -> problem. -> -> You can overide the security of X by using a command called -> xhost. If you type: -> -> xhost + -> -> then any user from anywhere in the universe is allowed to run -> graphical applications on your X windows, this can be fun (and -> also very dangerous if you dont have any other security measures -> and are connected to the internet). -> -> A slightly safer solution is to use the following command: -> -> xhost +yourcomputername -> -> this will allow anyone who is logged on to your computer to run -> graphical applications.
Hmmm maybe using named pipe for DISPLAY would help - root can open any named pipe; dunno if X authorization will allow that. even "ssh localhost -l root" would be good; you must allow logins to root at least for localhost; using /bin/login and /etc/login.access would be good for this; you must of course turn it on in /etc/ssh/sshd_config too -- Matus "fantomas" Uhlar, sysadmin at NETLAB+ Kosice, Slovakia BIC coord for *.sk; admin of netlab.irc.sk; co-admin of irc.felk.cvut.cz Linux IS user friendly, it's just selective who its friends are...