[arch-general] coping with damaging updates

[Mick]

On Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:24:13 -0500
Leonid Isaev <lisaev at umail.iu.edu> wrote:

> On (10/27/11 17:49), Mick wrote:
> -~> Following yet another update that has disabled user control of USB
> -~> sticks, cameras, etc. and blocked user from shutting down from the
> -~> desktop (in my case xfce4), I am at the end of my tether.
> -~> 
> -~> Is there some way to be fore-warned of these updates coming
> online and -~> avoid them or be ready with clear info on how to
> repair the damage they -~> are set to create.
> -~> 
> -~> mick
> 
> OK, which update you are talking about?
I'm not sure, I usually run pacman -Syu about 3 weeks apart and there
are usually many updates to apply.

> 
> Shutdown problems probably come from upower. Your user would loose
> control of external devices only if you were in the storage/disk
> groups. Adding youself to these groups was your mistake, since unless
> you understand what you are doing, you should let console-kit do the
> permission granting. In fact, on a modern linux system you only have
> to be a member of 1 group: users.

I'm currently in the following groups:

disk - not sure why
lp - to get around printer problems
wheel - the beginners guide insisted
log - after an update destroyed my root GUI session
locate - I had some reason, can't remember now
http - facilitate editing of website
video - don't know
audio - couldn't play music until I added 
optical, storage no usbstick or cd/dvd access without it
scanner camera - same thing with camera and scanner
power - fixed a previous occurrence of this problem
users - default
wireshark - obvious
> 
> How do you start your desktop and do you have ck-launch-session
> running?
ininttab runlevel 5 ==> xdm

exec ck-launch-session startxfce4

This has been a frequently recurring problem since I first install Arch
about feb 2009, and the solution has never been the same

mick

PS I apologize if my inherent paranoia is showing.