<chapter id="authorization">
<title>Authorization manager</title>

<sect1 id="authorization-manual">
<title>Manual</title>

<para>
The Authorization manager is the application that system administrators can
use to easily change the default behavior of any actions. This page does not
aim to explain how to create new actions or define new <quote>.policy</quote>
files.</para>

<para>
The Authorization screen is divided in two parts, at the left we have all the
actions that PolicyKit knows, you are able to search the actions using the search
bar at the top, and at the right we have the selected action.
This screenshot shows the main Authorization screen:
</para>

<para>
<screenshot>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject><imagedata fileref="authorization_1.png" format="PNG"/></imageobject>
<textobject><phrase>Main window with source device</phrase></textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>

<para>
When you select an action it's details will be shown at the right side,
the action might have an icon, a description and the vendor name. Next
in the view we have the <quote>Implicit Authorizations</quote> and
<quote>Explicit Authorizations</quote>.
</para>

<para>
The <quote>Implicit Authorizations</quote> are authorizations automatically
given to users based on certain criteria such as if they are on the local
console. These authorizations are read from the <quote>.policy</quote> files
that the given application defined, they are the defaults settings of the action.
These are the valid values
</para>

<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para>no</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>auth_self_one_shot</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>auth_self</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>auth_self_keep_session</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>auth_self_keep_always</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>auth_admin_one_shot</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>auth_admin</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>auth_admin_keep_session</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>auth_admin_keep_always</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>yes</para></listitem>
</itemizedlist>

<para>
You can change these defaults values simply by changing it on the combo box,
the not bold value is the default one so if you want to change one value back
you can select it, to make you selection take effect you have to click on the
<quote>Modify</quote> button. The <quote>Revert to defaults</quote> can be used
to change all <quote>Implicit Authorizations</quote> to it's defaults values.
Note that both <quote>Modify</quote> and <quote>Revert to defaults</quote>
requires you to issue the PolicyKit <quote>org.freedesktop.policykit.modify-defaults</quote>
action which might ask a password.
</para>

<para>
The <quote>Explicit Authorizations</quote> are authorizations that are either
obtained through authentication process or specifically given to the action
in question. The default behavior is to only show the current user explicit
authorizations; if you want to see others users explicit authorizations
click on the <quote>Show authorizations from all users</quote>, note that this
requires you to issue the PolicyKit <quote>org.freedesktop.policykit.read</quote>
action which might ask a password.
Blocked authorizations are marked with a <quote>STOP</quote> sign.
</para>

<para>
The <quote>Revoke</quote> button is used to revoke an explicit authorization.
Note that this requires you to issue the PolicyKit
<quote>org.freedesktop.policykit.revoke</quote> action which might ask a password.
</para>

<para>
If you want to specifically grant or block a given user of performing a given action
you can click on the <quote>Grant</quote> or <quote>Block</quote>.
The following screenshot you see the Grant/Block dialog:
</para>

<para>
<screenshot>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject><imagedata fileref="authorization_2.png" format="PNG"/></imageobject>
<textobject><phrase>Grant/Block explicit authorizations dialog</phrase></textobject>
</mediaobject>
</screenshot>
</para>

<para>
To grant/block explicit authorizations you have to select the user that will
receive the authorization. You can also select the <quote>Constraints</quote>
to limit the authorization such that it only applies under certain circumstances.
<warning><para>Be aware that explicit blocking and authorization might self lock you
of performing the given action so be sure of what you are doing</para></warning>
Note that this requires you to issue the PolicyKit
<quote>org.freedesktop.policykit.grant</quote> action which might ask a password.
</para>

</sect1>

</chapter>