Going through the thread absolutely helped, finally got root.
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The user part was where I spent most of the time, problem was using the wrong file. The commands about cleaning the retrieved file in vim were solid.
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I used this for the last part, was also posted in the thread.
An Interesting Privilege Escalation vector (getcap/setcap) - NXNJZ -
Just remember to look for the files, because of path!!
Happy to help anyone who needs a nudge 
