map :file to execute as a specific user

Question

is possible to execute :file and open the selected program as a different user from the vifm one? I'm running vifm as root and I would like to open the selection as the user currently logged in the desktop environment

Answer 1

This can be done via c key in menus, although how well it works depends on the command:

mnoremap <silent> s c<c-a><c-f>func() { su myuser --command="$(printf '%%q ' "$@")"; } && func <cr>

myuser need to be specified somehow.

If there is a redirection or use of environment variables, that will happen as root. Trailing & should work fine. Alternatively, can sacrifice & and push expansion and redirection inside command run as a different user. Not sure that both cases can be made to work at the same time.

Comments

thank you for the code, I will build upon that

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after a lot of trials and errors, I couldn't make it works, even if a explicitly declare the user it still open the selection as root

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Can you show the mapping which didn't work as intended?

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Initially I tried to directly customize the code you provided, but even change only myuser to my current desktop user is not working:

mnoremap <silent> gb c<c-a><c-f>func() { su $USER --command="$(printf '%%q ' "$@")"; } && func <cr>

note: I want to highlight that I'm executing vifm as root user

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When you run as root $USER expands to root which is why I used myuser. If you have multiple users, then maybe define a separate environment variable that specifies user name of a GUI session.

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I use the variable $USER extensively inside vifm and it expand to john, my desktop environment user. Even if I explicitly set john in that command, it still open the selection as root when I press gb

mnoremap <silent> gb c<c-a><c-f>func() { su john --command="$(printf '%%q ' "$@")"; } && func <cr>

I'm missing something?

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Then it's not $USER. How complicated is the command you're trying to run, does it have shell control-flow operators like |, && or || in it?

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the commands should be those displayed in the :file menu, so if I execute gb

mnoremap <silent> gb c<c-a><c-f>func() { su john --command="$(printf '%%q ' "$@")"; } && func <cr>

on a .jpg file, the menu reports all associated applications, but every selection, eg. okular %f is launched as root user

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I don't see how that's possible, the command must be executed by user john. Check that mnoremap gb shows the correct mapping.

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I started out on a new vifmrc, commented out the default gb association

" Open file in the background using its default program
"nnoremap gb :file &<cr>l

added the custom one

mnoremap <silent> gb c<c-a><c-f>func() { su john --command="$(printf '%%q ' "$@")"; } && func <cr>

and something changed, so I messed up something before, my bad

still is not working though, I don't get to menu at all now, nothing happens after gb shortcut on a file, is there a way to get a log of what's happening?

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That sample mapping was for normal mode, you're adding a mapping for menu mode, so that wasn't the reason.

You can remove <cr> at the end to see the final command.

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got it, is there a way, once in menu mode, to open the selected element by default as john on enter key press, without using gb?

edit: eureka!

I got it working at last

mnoremap <cr> c<c-a><c-f>su -c "<c-e>" $USER %i &<cr>

so from normal mode it use the default gb mapping and in the menu mode it's seamless integrated

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Hm, should have checked what shell you're using, maybe it doesn't get that syntax for functions.