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Accepted
Apurba
Asked: 2012-08-14 23:32:15 +0800 CST

Cannot connect to X Server when running app with sudo

  • 772

When I am running some software using sudo command it showing error like 

cannot connect to X server

For example if I run the following command: 

$ sudo gedit /etc/profile

I am getting following command

(gedit:6758): WARNING **: Command line `dbus-launch --autolaunch=84b871d735f31ffe014dc9ba00000009 --binary-syntax --close-stderr' 
exited with non-zero exit status 1: 
Autolaunch error: X11 initialization failed. 
Cannot open display:
Run 'gedit --help' to see a full list of available command line options.

Or if I am running super-boot-manager I am getting following error 

buc: cannot connect to X server

Please help.

display

5 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    You need to allow the root user access to the X server:

    xhost local:root

    And point the command to the right DISPLAY:

    sudo DISPLAY=$DISPLAY gedit /etc/profile
    • 51

  2. Finally the problem is solved. I have just added the line:

    Defaults env_keep="DISPLAY XAUTHORITY"

    at the end of visudo.

    To do that you have to run

    sudo visudo

    it will open the file then add the above line at the end.

    Thanks to all, specially @Thor for kind help

    • 20

  3. Supplementing @Thor's answer:

    Run xhost local:root before sudo gedit. To make this permanent, add the line

    xhost local:root

    to the file ~/.xinitrc 1. Create the file if it doesn't exist.

    [1] https://askubuntu.com/a/720120/452398

    • 5

  4. Actually the code you are running has cv2.imshow() or any other display commands, for remote running of code you have to comment them, and better save for visualization.

    • 0

  5. set DISPLAY and XAUTHORITY variable environment before running your scrip. for example in systemctl service file:

    [Unit]
Description=Start Clock

[Service]
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
Environment=XAUTHORITY=/home/pi/.Xauthority
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 /home/pi/clock.py
Restart=always
RestartSec=10s
KillMode=process
TimeoutSec=infinity

[Install]
WantedBy=graphical.target
    • 0