This is a tiny tutorial for running Chromium and VLC in BT.

Install Chromium on Backtrack 5:

apt-get install chromium-browser

When you try to run it on Backtrack, you will get the following message: “Chromium cannot be run as root”.

After installation of Chromium, we have to hex edit the binary file in chromium-browser, so in terminal:

cd /usr/lib/chromium-browser

hexedit chromium-browser

Weird?? No! So here you can edit data in both hexadecimal and ascii modes. Its a very useful tool. Now we switch to ascii by pressing [tab]. The cursor will be moved to the right side from the middle panel. Now you can edit in ASCII. To undo any changes you might make by mistake, press [backspace].

ctrl+s to search for geteuid

Now we modify the geteuid to getppid

Now, ctrl+x to exit with changes saved. Finally, Chromium runs with root privileges.

To do the same operation for VLC, just follow the same steps:

/usr/bin/vlc

Another post about Skype in root account is coming next; stay tuned.  🙂

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27 thoughts on “How to run Chromium browser and VLC in Backtrack with root privileges.”
    1. Thank you very much! I made a read to your site and its interesting too. Yes the next project is on modification right now so stay tuned 🙂

    1. 1stly you type “cd /usr/lib/chromium-browser” to access the app’s dir
      and then “hexedit chromium-browser” 🙂

  1. “Now we modify the geteuid to geteppid”

    that should be “getppid”, w/o the letter “e”

  2. -φιλε εχω μερικες αποριες πανω σε αυτο το θεμα-
    προσπαθω να το κανω σε ενα vps με debian 7 32bit και οταν βαζω cd /usr/lib/chromium-browser
    –>No such directory or file
    Επισης μπηκα σιγα σιγα με cd /usr/ μετα cd /lib μπλα μπλα αλλα παλι το ιδιο με εβγαζε και οταν προσπαθησα με to hexedit εγραφε “Not a file” (λογικο αφου δεν το βρισκει)
    Θα σου ημουν ευγνωμων αν με βοηθουσες
    ΥΓ: (Τον εχω εγκαταστησει τον browser αλλα δεν ξερω γιατι δεν το βρισκει)

    1. Καλησπέρα φίλε μου. Λοιπόν, αρχικα μιας που ανέφερες Debian OS, δοκιμασε το path:
      “/usr/bin/chromium-browser” , αν και παλι δε κανει κατι τοτε, τρέξε το command:
      “$ strace chromium-browser” και πες μου τι σου εμφανιζει.

  3. Hi , how are you doing?
    I found this post trying to understand why chromium is not able tu run php pages with permissions set at 600. Im trying to complete a mooc online and they say the 600 permission is the right one since only you can read the php code… You think it’s possible they gave chrome root privileges? Well, thanks in advance. Greetings!

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