So many comments here saying you don't need the terminal for full functionality.... What Distro are you people using??? How do you install programs not in the "software center" and how do you edit config files? How do you configure a network share? I don't really think you guys are thinking this through.
For any use-cases beyond a very limited chromebook-like functionality, Linux is absolutely not fully usable without access to the terminal.
Eh, you really can't. Linux without the terminal only enables about 5% of the functionality available the user.
Linux geeks like to imagine a hypothetical "average user" who never needs to adjust settings or install anything beyond a web browser. But a person looking for that limited of functionality while also knowing how to install an operating system is not an average user.
It is a bit weird. They're doing the Winrar business model of "pay if you want to, but don't have to". I don't get how such a niche product can support multiple salaries.
Ansible is most useful if you have a large volume of systems. It's a great tool for what it does but imo, it not worth learning if you're not going to be needing it frequently.
I asked this a while back and was told I am an idiot for asking and it is astonishing I am able to even use a computer, which I clearly am not responsible enough to use.
Just kidding (not really) but consensus was "not very easily". I tried a few methods which were complicated and didn't manage to work. Yes, Windows and MacOS do this seamlessly, but nobody has yet taken the time to add a similar functionality to Linux.
I appreciate the absolute mountains of concern that I am using my own computer incorrectly, but I've been doing it this way for more than a decade and have never once broken anything, lost data or exposed myself to a security risk so I think I'm doing ok.
The question is not about a specific use-case, but a general one. I do not think it's an absurd scenario that sometimes a user would want root privileges without resorting to the command line.
The thing is terminal tools are already available.
Right, after many years of Linux, I get the feeling that developers assume that if you don't like text-based input, you are not responsible enough to configure your own computer. It strikes me as a hacky workaround to the problem of different knowledge levels among users. This is not a criticism of any particular developer, and I have a deep respect for them all. It's just an observation. UAC is not much better, and Apple's "solution" is even worse.
What I want to accomplish is to open files and programs as root without use of the terminal. I promise you I have no nefarious intentions towards you or your ilk.
Thank you for the advice I will take it under consideration.You seem educated in this area, do you know of an easy way to identify the real name of a program without the terminal?
What are you running into that you want to launch as sudo through the gui that isn’t pulling up the dialogue automatically?
Almost anything. The first thing I tried to do was delete a file off of a network share. Also, editing the name of a file copied from a network share. Also, editing text files, also, formatting a thumb drive. I am not afraid of the command line, I just don't prefer it for every single time.
Some people may consider this a permissions issue, which is technically correct but does not bring anyone closer to solving the problem that:
Delete file - enter password - [the file gets deleted]
Is a lot more straightforward of a process for some people than navigating file permissions system and entering the correct commands into the terminal just to be rid of a file you didn't want in the first place.
And apt is just the beginning of it. It's not that uncommon for apt to not work either.