If you're on Manjaro (or Arch Linux) and logging in via XRDP, you might encounter this persistent error:

Authentication is required to create a color managed device

This happens because colord (used for color profile management) requires PolicyKit permissions that aren't granted in XRDP sessions by default.

Here’s how to fix it with a proper Polkit rule and group setup.

✅ Step 1: Create a Dedicated XRDP Group

Some distros don’t include an xrdp or xrdpusers group by default. Create one manually:

sudo groupadd xrdpusers

Now add your current user to this group dynamically using $USER:

sudo usermod -aG xrdpusers $USER

🔁 Important: Log out and log back in (or reboot) to activate group membership, or run the command below :

newgrp xrdpusers

📜 Step 2: Create a Polkit Rule to Bypass Prompts

Use vim to create a new Polkit rule file:

sudo vim /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/02-allow-xrdp-colord.rules

Paste the following content:

polkit.addRule(function(action, subject) {
    if ((action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-device" ||
         action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-profile" ||
         action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.modify-device") &&
        subject.isInGroup("xrdpusers")) 
    {
        return polkit.Result.YES;
    }
});

In vim: press i to insert, paste the content, then Esc, type :wq, and hit Enter.

🔁 Step 3: Reboot to Apply Changes

sudo reboot

This ensures the new group membership and policy rule are active.

🧪 Step 4: Test the Fix

After logging back in via XRDP:

• Open Settings
• Launch any app that would normally trigger the color management system

✅ You should no longer see the “authentication is required to create a color managed device” prompt.

🔍 Optional Verification

Check that your user is in the new group:

groups

Test Polkit interaction with:

pkcheck --action-id org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-device --process $$

✅ Summary

• This fix works on Manjaro, Arch, and other systemd-based distros using XRDP.
• We create a custom group (xrdpusers) and define a Polkit rule to authorize common colord actions.

No more frustrating popups — enjoy a smoother XRDP experience!

Filed under: #linux #xrdp #polkit #manjaro #arch