# compile as root should not start a display



## Beeblebrox (Mar 13, 2013)

I can't build firefox, because after build is almost done, there is a step where it configures firefox and needs to open a browser interface. I traced the error to:

```
Error: couldn't open display (null)
```
Well, it's not an error really, since I "su -l" to get root and start the build that way. A GUI launch request from root, no matter what the app is, gets halted - as it should. What is to be done about this situation?


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## wblock@ (Mar 13, 2013)

Turn off whatever option is enabled that wants to run the browser.  It's not a default option.  Or use just `% su` (no dash) to get the non-root user's environment and DISPLAY setting.

But really, turn off the option that's doing that.


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## Beeblebrox (Mar 13, 2013)

Do you know which one of these it would be?

```
[*] GCONF             GConf configuration backend
```


```
[*] PGO               Use Profile-Guided Optimization
```


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## wblock@ (Mar 13, 2013)

PGO would be my guess.


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