Ubuntu
gnome-system-tools package

User Settings and Privileges

Asked by Karen Smith

I am using Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. I am the only user. In Administration > Users and Groups > Users Settings > Advanced Settings > User Privileges there are options such as 'Connect to wireless and ethernet networks' and 'Use audio devices'.

These options are not checked for my user privileges but I can connect to the internet using my ethernet network and I hear audio through the speakers.

This being the case, what is the purpose of these options? If I check these options, what changes?

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Paul Libert
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Best Paul Libert (plibert) said : 		#1

As far as I remember, this will change your unix group membership.
To confirm, in a console. do a 'cat /etc/group' then change one of these and recheck.
You should see your username in a new group.

This only change access right to the 'files & files like' entities (also process). Modern UI like Gnome have other ways to give you access to network or sound (soundserver like pulseaudio and such) that do not rely on basic Unix access mechanisms.

For example, checking the 'use audio devices' will add you to the audio group and will give you raw access to the files and device files who have 'audio' as group ('ls -l /dev/snd' should show you some).

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Karen Smith (karen729) said : 		#2

Paul, thanks much for your help. I appreciate the info. I'm one of those that can't be happy with just the answer; I want to know the why's and how's as well.

I used the 'cat /etc/group' as you suggested and can see the difference between when I am a member of a particular group and when I'm not.

So what it looks like is, the User Privileges is another way of making yourself a member of any of the available groups.

Since everything is working ok, I'll leave those user privileges unchecked.

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marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said : 		#3

Please open a terminale and type

sudo adduser $USER audio
sudo adduser $USER netdev

give your user password when requested you will not see any screen chers when you type the passwd, so type then press enter.

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Karen Smith (karen729) said : 		#4

Thanks Paul Libert, that solved my question.