Running from desktop with privileges

From the AA1 desktop, is it possible to set up a shortcut that runs a process with root privileges without the user needing to know the root password?

In particular, I need to run gnome-ppp. Although gnome-ppp considers having root privileges as optional (i.e. you can run it unprivileged) without the root password it does not succeed in dialling - it reports the modem as being in use or unavailable. With the root password it dials up ok. The /dev/modem has rwx privileges for all. It is a link pointing to /dev/ttyACM0 and I have modified that so that it too has rwx for all. However it still only dials up when the root password is entered.

The main user of this particular machine is not computer literate and I would prefer not to give them the root password (for their own protection - and because it's one more thing they have to remember before being able to access the internet).

I realise I could wipe the machine and use some other distro, however I don't want to do that. I chose the AA1 deliberately because of its much simplified user interface which suits my particular user of this machine.

Any help much appreciated.

Kind Regards
Steve

 

Have you looked at the file /etc/sudoers ?

Note: I don't have a "one" myself, but helped others with it, so only guessing:

All commands commands can be run with

sudo -commands-

without a password ( true? ).

You may change the sudoers file (complicated).
( You may specify a single command a certain user is allowed to do. )

Another avenue: The group-rights : every user can be a member of various groups, like audio etc.
For networking there are groups named 'dip' and 'dialout' .
So, you might solve it by making the user a member of those groups.

HTH, --Japser.