Re: how to transfer Desktop settings from 'root' to normal 'user' account ?

[Bob McClure Jr <robertmcclure earthlink net>]

On Mon, Nov 17, 2003 at 02:29:09AM -0800, leosgohard wrote:
> 1)
> As mentioned by _Bob Mclure_ in the last mailSession,i have stopped 
> using my root account.(which i was almost always using needlessly..)but 
> now i want to transfer all my settings to my new user which is a 'mere 
> mortal a/c"
> I want it to have the same Desktop wallpaper ,same icons on it as my 
> root account was having.Is there some settings file that i can copy from
> root a/c that will make me restore all those settings here without 
> getting them manually(one by one).

For purposes of this discussion, let's assume your mere mortal userid
is "robin", and belong to the "users" group.

I might have suggested that you copy the contents of the /root
directory to your (robin's) $HOME directory, but (Caveat Linuxor) there
are likely some "root-isms" in there which might, at best, produce
some odd results.  If you want to try it, you would, as root:

  cd
  find . | cpio -pdmv -R robin:users ~robin

The most notable fix you will need to make is to change (as robin)
~/.mozilla/root to ~/.mozilla/robin

> 2)
> Moreover ,if i am logged in as a root ,how can i access my system as 
> 'just User' on command line.( i know the otherway around ..using 'su' on 
> command line)

Some think that "su" means "super user", i.e. root, but it really
means "set user".  It just so happens that if invoked without a userid
argument, it defaults to root.  Also note that if you

  su robin

you will change your identity but not your environment.  It's better
to

  su - robin

Then you will have robin's identity and environment.  Same thing applies
when you su to root.  "man su" for more info.  "man" and "info" are
your friends.

> 3)Is it possible for me to import all my email accounts(with emails and 
> addressbooks) that i was having configured in my mozilla email 
> client(which is essentially same as netscape mail client..) from 'root' 
> account to 'user' account;
> WIthout having to download them again from my actual mail accounts lying 
> online.

If you don't try the iffy process described in (1) above, the key
things you want to transfer are root's

  .mozilla/root/*/bookmarks.html
  .mozilla/root/*/address-book.html
  .mozilla/root/*/preferences*

I won't dare to assert that that will work flawlessly.  There may be
any number of loose ends.  You might, in fact, do better with (as
above)

  find .mozilla | cpio -pdmv -R robin:users ~robin
  mv ~robin/.mozilla/root ~robin/.mozilla/robin

> Please help me in this.
> 
> thanks for all u guys' help till date ..i am learning lots of things 
> everyday..!
> 
> ~robin

Cheers,
-- 
Bob McClure, Jr.             Bobcat Open Systems, Inc.
robertmcclure earthlink net  http://www.bobcatos.com
Average is as close to the bottom as to the top.