deb http://packages.gnuinos.org/merged beowulf main

Download and install gnuinos-keyring:

$ wget https://packages.gnuinos.org/gnuinos/pool/main/g/gnuinos-keyring/gnuinos-keyring_2020.05.03_all.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i gnuinos-keyring_2020.05.03_all.deb

Update the repository and install the mentioned package afterwards:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install gtk-ssh-askpass

From there you'll be able to run graphical applications as root by typing (in this example, for the case of synaptic):

$ gkt-askpass synaptic

Keep in mind that /usr/bin/gtk-askpass restricts the use of /usr/sbin/gtk-ssh-askpass to a few applications. By default:

case $1 in
	pcmanfm|thunar|synaptic|gparted|bleachbit)
		SUDO_ASKPASS=/usr/sbin/gtk-ssh-askpass sudo -A $1
		;;
	*) ;;
esac

But you can edit this file as root and add/remove whatever you want. If you want to narrow it only to synaptic and gparted, for instance, then you may leave it as follows:

case $1 in
	synaptic|gparted)
		SUDO_ASKPASS=/usr/sbin/gtk-ssh-askpass sudo -A $1
		;;
	*) ;;
esac

Gtk-ssh-askpass is installed by default in the images of gnuinos beowulf:

https://www.gnuinos.org/Beowulf/

Here you are a screenshot:

Geoff

golinux misses gksu  . . .

Despite so-called security issues, I have to agree.

So much for the KISS principle...

golinux misses gksu  . . .

Amen.

If I know exactly where a file I want to edit is:

~$ sudoedit /full/path/to/file

(having previously put

export EDITOR=/usr/bin/gedit

in my .bashrc).

gedit admin:///full/path/to/file

^ That opens the GUI as the normal user and only invokes root privileges to actually save the file.

~$ sudo nemo

or whatever's your graphical file manager and then at the prompt enter your user password..
This work just as well.

nb. I use Cinnamon (I'm another pre-systemd Mint refugee) so my main file manager is nemo and my file editor is gedit.

I find this a particularly useful way of finding my way around/editing system files when I've ssh -X in order to work on a remote PC.

1. Log into the root account at the log in screen.
- The root user has all the same programs as any other user, just with complete control to break anything your heart desires.

2. Open the file manager as root.
- In Xfce, the default GUI, Thunar is the file manager.
- When you open Thunar as root you will be able to edit any config file with Mousepad/gedit/whatever by clicking it.

Steps:
- Open terminal
- Type: su
- Type the password for the root account when prompted
- Type: thunar

A root enabled Thunar window will open, with a convenient banner telling you it's a root window rather than a normal user window.

I personally og into the root account on the terminal only rarely and close to never as full GUI. However, I will fire up Thunar as root sometimes, because using a "root gui" is, as you say, easy and convenient.

All that said, Debian/Devuan is not like Ubuntu or Mint, which themselves are similar to SUSE when it comes to being pre-configured for desktop users. There's plenty of terminal config I need to futz with to make my Devuan desktop similar to my old Mint desktop. I imagine you'll find the same with configuring it to be similar to how SUSE 11 worked for you. Not being heavily customized is kind of a feature of Debian and thus Devuan.

I am currently using one of the best linux distributions for normal *gui* people: suse linux enterprise desktop 11 sp4 with gnome 2.28
This is the last version without systemd (by the way, I do only a few commands in the terminal, like installing rpms, converting files with ffmpeg, and a few more but that's it).
I also like that I can use root gui for some admin tasks. I am the only user in this laptop and access to gui root is essential.

Some history: began with computers as a savvy end user since the win3.1 days (1997), in those days quake1 and duke nukem 3d were huge hits.

I started timidly using linux back in 2004 with suse linux personal 9.1 and then dropped it after a few months and went back to windows.
When opensuse 10.3 appeared on the scene, I decided to return and check it out, and started using it more frequently; when SLED10 was released, I went ahead and installed it (around 2010), at this point I had moved definitely to linux, like 99.5% of the time consistently since that time. Later I installed SLED11 and stayed there until now.

Unfortunately, it's showing its age, I haven't updated any programs for more than 3 years (end of life); and even tough it's still performing great, I can't stay here forever; and since last year I'm evaluating other linux options.
New distro versions are now coming with systemd, and I would rather continue with a proven init system and not use one that wants to become another svchost.exe

I evaluated recently opensuse 15.2 with mate desktop and it looks awesome, but the fact that systemd is inside doing its thing, it doesn't make me comfortable. Then I started checking more on devuan.

I evaluated initially devuan 3 beowulf with mate desktop inside virtualbox, but got no sound (I know, the release notes, yet remember that i am not not a command-line-interface individual so i did not know how to fix it neither I tried to venture. When I had issues like this, I used to go to root gui and open gedit, and make the modifications).

Then I installed devuan 2.1 ascii with mate and later cinnamon. These were better options for me, however, not having access as root in a gui, it's an important item to check on my list.

Then, I commenced to review derivatives, I probably tried like 6-8 of them, not finding one that I liked. Then other systemd-free distros, like pcLinuxOS, Alpine, Void and others.

Right before I gave up and went for opensuse again, recently came across with devuan virage linux 3.1. This one is based on beowulf with xfce, although with newer kernel; lots of music applications (audio is not my thing, but the desktop environment layout looks great) and I'm able to sign in as root. Yay!

It has a weird way to install on disk yet it works great in virtualbox and I am happily evaluating it; I am trying to get around the synaptics package manager gui and customizing xfce, it's the first time i'm using it after more than a decade with gnome.
I already installed firefox and removed chromium as practice.
So this might be the option I was looking for. I am trying to get more acquainted with it over the days. So you will be reading more from me asking questions since I don't have any devuan/debian background.

After this learning phase and later feeling more comfortable around it, I can go ahead and install devuan in 3 more family computers (my brother's [x2] and dad's; all using opensuse at the moment).

As a final comment, I am happy in finally joining the forums and  participate whenever required.

Greetings from Colombia.

PS:
If you have any hints/tips in how to customize xfce desktop environment (plugins?) to look more like gnome 2.28/mate, your comments are more than welcome, since me, my brother and dad are used to this layout for years as well, we are 100% gui point-and-click people. Cheers everyone.