Using pkexec could fail if using ssh

[Wang-Yue]

meson default to use pkexec if it's available in the system. However, pkexec needs two windows (see NixOS/nixpkgs#18012 (comment)) when running remotely via ssh. So it becomes very cumbersome to install a package in an ssh session.

Is it possible for the user to choose the privilege escalation (pkexec/sudo) method? Or use sudo whenever user is away from X.

[eli-schwartz]

#11366

[xclaesse]

When I use pkexec over ssh, it asks for password in the terminal:

$ pkexec true
==== AUTHENTICATING FOR org.freedesktop.policykit.exec ===
Authentication is needed to run `/bin/true' as the super user
Authenticating as: root
Password: 

Why is it different on your system or in Meson?

[eli-schwartz]

I think it requires a logind session, because it sure doesn't work for me over ssh. I successfully type in my password, then it complains about session cookies.

I have literally never had a problem with sudo over ssh. Polkit unpredictably fails unless I obtain physical access to the device and log into a desktop. Then ssh works. Go figure.

To add to the indignity, it used to complain I'm not authorized anyway, and I had to manually configure polkit to allow the wheel user to obtain privileges. I did so purely as an experiment to see if it could work, my system didn't preconfigure this at all.

[xclaesse]

Sounds like bad polkit config and/or bugs, but it seems pretty common to not work indeed, judging from what I find in google. Possibly you need a session open on the machine you ssh, that was the case when I tried it at least.