gksu

gksu [options] [command]

--user
    Run the command as the specified user. If omitted, defaults to root.

--message
    Display the specified message in the authentication dialog.

--description
    Set the descriptive text in the dialog.

--su-options
    Pass options directly to the underlying su command.

--sudo-mode
    Force the use of sudo, even if su is available.

-t
    Deprecated option for --sudo-mode. Use that instead.

-u
    Alias for --user.

-m
    Alias for --message.

The gksu command is a graphical frontend for su and sudo. It allows users to run graphical applications with root or other user privileges from a graphical environment.
Unlike simply using su or sudo directly in a terminal and then launching a GUI application, gksu ensures that the application inherits the correct environment variables and X server connection settings, preventing common issues like display errors or permission problems. gksu is often used in desktop environments to provide a secure and user-friendly way to perform administrative tasks that require graphical interfaces.
It utilizes a graphical dialog box to prompt the user for the password of the target user before executing the command. This makes it a safer alternative compared to passing passwords directly through command-line arguments.
It's important to note that gksu is no longer actively maintained and alternatives like `pkexec` are generally preferred.

gksu is considered deprecated and is no longer actively developed. It relies on older authentication methods and can pose security risks. Modern systems generally prefer using `pkexec` or `sudo` for running graphical applications with elevated privileges.

Using gksu with untrusted applications can be risky as the application runs with elevated privileges. Ensure that you trust the source of the application before running it with gksu.
Prefer modern methods such as `pkexec`.

gksu was developed to provide a convenient way to run graphical applications as root or another user in desktop environments, addressing the issues of environment variable and X server connection inheritance when using su or sudo directly in a terminal. It gained popularity in systems like Ubuntu and Debian as a user-friendly tool for administrative tasks. However, due to security concerns and the availability of better alternatives, gksu has been superseded by pkexec and other more secure mechanisms.

su(1), sudo(8), pkexec(1)