---
title: "Failed to run /usr/sbin/synaptic Unable to copy the user’s Xauthorisation file"
description: "<p>If you get the following error while running Synaptic:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>**Failed to run /usr/sbin/synaptic</p></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Unable to copy the user’s Xauthorisation file.**</p></blockquote>
<p>Make sure to that you have enough space in your /tmp directory.</p>
<p>To check if that is indeed the problem run the following command in your terminal:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>df -h</p></blockquote>
<p>This command will show you each mounted volumes you may have including the one mounted to /tmp.</p>
<p>/tmp usually contains temporary data for applications while they run. It sometimes may reach a point where it 100% full (might have happened to me while I upgraded to Hardy Heron 8.04).</p>"
doc_version: "1"
last_updated: "2017-06-02"
date: 2008-04-27
tags: [Linux, synaptic, Ubuntu]
canonical: "https://eran.sandler.co.il/2008/04/27/failed-to-run-usrsbinsynaptic-unable-to-copy-the-users-xauthorisation-file/"
---

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If you get the following error while running Synaptic:

> **Failed to run /usr/sbin/synaptic
  
> Unable to copy the user&#8217;s Xauthorisation file.**

Make sure to that you have enough space in your /tmp directory.

To check if that is indeed the problem run the following command in your terminal:

> df -h

This command will show you each mounted volumes you may have including the one mounted to /tmp.

/tmp usually contains temporary data for applications while they run. It sometimes may reach a point where it 100% full (might have happened to me while I upgraded to Hardy Heron 8.04).

To clear /tmp run the following commands (<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>BE CAREFUL NOT TO RUN rm -rf ON ANYWHERE OTHER THAN /tmp</strong></span>):

> cd /tmp
> 
> pwd   # just to make sure you are really in /tmp
> 
> rm -rf *