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When we need admin rights to do some stuff on Ubuntu 18.04, we are prompted with an Authentication Required window, asking for a sudo-account's password.

My problem is that it seems we can't choose which sudo-account we want to use.

This is a problem because my users are supposed to use a specific sudo-account to install some softwares, but the only one they can see when prompted for sudo-account, is the IT-account.

Is it possible/How to have the drop-down menu like there was in Ubuntu 16.04 ?

PS: I know this is a duplicate of this, but there is no answer for months.

Edit: Ok, let's assume that a drop-down menu is not possible. Is there a way to change the default account which appears ?

Kristopher Ives
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PyRo
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  • It is asking for a password of the current logged in user if they have sudo access or not. If they have access then all they need to do is type in their password. If not, you will have to switch user to an account that has sudo access via su. It would be su username. Check man su – Terrance Jan 14 '19 at 16:53
  • Thank you for the answer, but the thing is that my users are not really used to shell stuff, that's why it would have been more convenient for them that they can choose between sudo-accounts directly through the "Authentication Window" – PyRo Jan 15 '19 at 12:04
  • Comments of @Terrance not correct for this question! I have a similar situation. I am using a laptop of an institute, and our IT gave me SUDO rights. After I received the laptop I installed synaptic by *using sudo apt* I added it into my favorites. Everything was fine until I tried to open Synaptic by clicking its logo! It's asking the password of the IT not mine. When I need to open Synaptic, I have to use type sudo Synaptic and my password. – Mustafa K. YILDIZ Jun 08 '19 at 09:04
  • This is probably because there's two ways of giving access. Sudo and pkexec. pk is somewhat more flexible. – vidarlo Jun 08 '19 at 09:44
  • @MustafaK.YILDIZ My comment is correct for terminal access which OP has stated that they don't want their users using the terminal / shell, which is understandable. You were given sudo access so your's is a different situation than OPs here. OP is looking for a GUI solution that will allow choosing different users in a drop-down that are on the system for authentication like the older 16.04 had in it. – Terrance Jun 08 '19 at 13:02
  • @PyRo I honestly feel that the drop-down ability was removed from Ubuntu 18.04. I have tested it fully on my system here and setup more users with and without the ability to install software, etc. The only place that it has the drop-down box to change the user(s) that I can see is in the Users and Groups settings itself. Everywhere else only asks for my first user with sudo that I created on the system. Maybe you can file a feature request https://askubuntu.com/questions/28440/where-can-i-send-feature-requests against the gnome-software for the ability to choose users. – Terrance Jun 08 '19 at 13:53

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