That page may be accurate in regards to ubuntu but it is not accurate in regards to debian.
I merely linked to that page to provide reference to details regarding the potential problems of running graphical root applications while using a user's HOME dir. The difference between sudo in Debian and sudo in Ubuntu is _very_ much clear to me, as I have explicitly stated in my
post here.
'su-to-root -X -c' any X11 apps that require root privileges, while having SU_TO_ROOT_X=sux, results in that application running as root _but_ using the user's HOME dir instead of root's HOME. This is the same behavior as sudo-ing X11 apps in Ubuntu, but _not_ in Debian.
If anyone wishes to replicate this potential bug, irrespective of the DE used, and see for themselves whether a bug or not, here are the
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Choose any X11 app, preferably one that requires root privileges, such as gsmartcontrol, and that resides inside /usr/bin, _not_ /usr/sbin.
2. Make sure that no previous configuration folder/files exist inside your HOME dir for the application you're about to run:
for GSmartControl: ~/.config/gsmartcontrol
Delete if exists.
3. Make sure sux is installed. Then run
# echo 'SU_TO_ROOT_X=sux' > /etc/su-to-rootrc
This will force using sux as the su-like program called by 'su-to-root -X' irrespective of whatever others are installed, such as gksu, kdesu, etc.
4. Run
$ su-to-root -X -c gsmartcontrol
Make changes to the application settings. Then quit.
5. Verify that you now have the application's confugration files/folders but with root permissions inside your HOME dir.
If this isn't an undesired behavior then I don't know what is. I may have to file a bug soon on Debian BTS.
Cheers