linux: Fix saving file with root ownership (#22045)

Closes #13585

Currently, saving files with `root` ownership or `root` as the group
throws a `Permission denied (os error 13). Please try again.` error.
This PR fixes the issue on Linux by prompting the user for a password
and saving the file with elevated privileges.

It uses `pkexec` (Polkit), which is by default available on GNOME, KDE,
and most Linux systems. I haven't implemented this for macOS as I don't
have a device to test it on.

This implementation is similar to how Vscode handles it. Except, they
don't show custom message.

**Working**:

When file saving fails due to a `PermissionDenied` error, we create a
temporary file in the same directory as the target file and writes the
data to this temporary file. After, the contents of this file are copied
to the original file using the `tee` command instead of `cp` or `mv`.
This ensures that the ownership and permissions of the original file are
preserved. This command is executed using `pkexec` which will prompt
user for their password.

**Custom Message**:

The message displayed to the user in the prompt is automatically
retrieved from the `org.zed.app.policy` file, which is located at
`/usr/share/polkit-1/actions/`. This file should be installed during the
setup process. While the policy file is optional, omitting it will cause
the user to see the underlying command being executed rather than a
user-friendly message. Currently, VSCode does not display the
user-friendly message.

The policy file must specify a unique binary, ensuring that only that
binary can use the policy file. It cannot be as generic as a
`/bin/bash`, as any software using bash to prompt will end up showing
Zed’s custom message. To address this, we will create a custom bash
script, as simple as the following, placed in `/usr/bin/zed/elevate.sh`.
The script should have root ownership and should not reside in the home
directory, since the policy file cannot resolve `$HOME`.

```sh
#!/bin/bash
eval "$@"
```

*IMPORTANT NOTE*

Since copying the policy file and our script requires sudo privileges,
the installation script will now prompt for the password at very end.
Only on Linux, if `pexec` is installed.

Screenshots:

KDE with policy file:
![Screenshot from 2024-12-15
22-13-06](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b8bb7565-85df-4c95-bb10-82e50acf9b56)

Gnome with policy file:
![Screenshot from 2024-12-15
22-21-48](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/83d15056-a2bd-41d9-a01d-9b8954260381)

Gnome without policy file:

![image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/66c39d02-eed4-4f09-886f-621b6d37ff43)

VSCode:

![image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/949dc470-c3df-4e2f-8cc6-31babaee1d18)

User declines the permission request:

![image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c5cbf056-f6f9-43a8-8d88-f2b0597e14d6)

Release Notes:

- Fixed file saving with root ownership on Linux.
This commit is contained in:
tims 2024-12-20 03:46:01 +05:30 committed by GitHub
parent 5b86845605
commit f64bfe8c1d
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4 changed files with 132 additions and 24 deletions

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@ -170,3 +170,13 @@ rm ~/.local/zed.app/lib/libcrypto.so.1.1
```
This will force zed to fallback to the system `libssl` and `libcrypto` libraries.
### Editing files requiring root access
When you try to edit files that require root access, Zed requires `pkexec` (part of polkit) to handle authentication prompts.
Polkit comes pre-installed with most desktop environments like GNOME and KDE. If you're using a minimal system and polkit is not installed, you can install it with:
- Ubuntu/Debian: `sudo apt install policykit-1`
- Fedora: `sudo dnf install polkit`
- Arch Linux: `sudo pacman -S polkit`