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Differences between current version and predecessor to the previous major change of su(1).

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Newer page: version 3 Last edited on Monday, February 14, 2005 12:17:10 am by CraigBox
Older page: version 1 Last edited on Tuesday, June 4, 2002 12:22:55 am by perry Revert
@@ -1,121 +1,47 @@
-SU  
-!!!SU  
-NAME  
-SYNOPSIS  
-DESCRIPTION  
-OPTIONS  
-NOTES  
-CAVEATS  
-Files  
-SEE ALSO  
-AUTHOR  
-----  
 !!NAME 
+su - Change user ID or become super-user  
  
-  
-su - Change user ID or become super-user  
 !!SYNOPSIS 
+__su__ [[__OPTS__] [[__-__] [[__username__ [[__ARGS__]]  
  
-  
-__su__ [[__OPTS__] [[__-__] [[__username__  
-[[__ARGS__]]  
 !!DESCRIPTION 
+__su__ is used to become another user during a login session. Invoked without a username, __su__ defaults to becoming the super user. The optional argument __-__ may be used to provide an environment similiar to what the user would expect had the user logged in directly.  
  
+The user will be prompted for a password, if appropriate. Invalid passwords will produce an error message. All attempts, both valid and invalid, are logged to detect abuses of the system.  
  
-__su __ is used to become another user during a login  
-session. Invoked without a username, __su __ defaults to  
-becoming the super user . The optional argument __- __ may  
- be used to provide an environment similiar to what the user  
-would expect had the user logged in directly
+An optional command can be executed. This is done by the shell specified in ''/etc/passwd'' for the target user unless the __-s __ or __-m __ options are used . Any arguments supplied after the __username __ will be passed to the invoked shell (shell must support the -c command line option in order for a command to be passed to it)
  
+The current environment is passed to the new shell. The value of __$PATH__ is reset to __/bin:/usr/bin__ for normal users, or __/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin__ for the super user. This may be changed with the __ENV_PATH__ and __ENV_SUPATH__ definitions in ''/etc/login.defs''. When using the __-m__ or __-p__ options, the users environment is not changed.  
  
-The user will be prompted for a password, if appropriate .  
-Invalid passwords will produce an error message. All  
-attempts, both valid and invalid, are logged to detect  
-abuses of the system
+A subsystem login is indicated by the presense of a "*" as the first character of the login shell . The given home directory will be used as the root of a new filesystem which the user is actually logged into
  
-  
-An optional command can be executed. This is done by the  
-shell specified in ''/etc/passwd'' for the target user  
-unless the __-s__ or __-m__ options are used. Any  
-arguments supplied after the __username__ will be passed  
-to the invoked shell (shell must support the -c command line  
-option in order for a command to be passed to  
-it).  
-  
-  
-The current environment is passed to the new shell. The  
-value of __$PATH__ is reset to __/bin:/usr/bin__ for  
-normal users, or __/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin__ for  
-the super user. This may be changed with the __ENV_PATH__  
-and __ENV_SUPATH__ definitions in ''/etc/login.defs''.  
-When using the __-m__ or __-p__ options, the users  
-environment is not changed.  
-  
-  
-A subsystem login is indicated by the presense of a  
 !!OPTIONS 
  
+;__-__ : make this a login shell  
+;__-c__, __--commmand__=''<command>'' : pass ''command'' to the invoked shell using its __-c__ option  
+;__-m__, __-p__, __--preserve-environment__ : do not reset environment variables, and keep the same shell  
+;__-s__, __--shell__=''<shell>'' : use ''shell'' instead of the default in /etc/passwd  
  
-__-__  
  
  
-make this a login shell  
-  
-  
-__-c__,  
-__--commmand__=''''  
-  
-  
-pass ''command'' to the invoked shell using its __-c__  
-option  
-  
-  
-__-m__, __-p__,  
-__--preserve-environment__  
-  
-  
-do not reset environment variables, and keep the same  
-shell  
-  
-  
-__-s__, __--shell__=''''  
-  
-  
-use ''shell'' instead of the default in  
-/etc/passwd  
 !!NOTES 
+The __-m__, __-p__ and __-s__ options are restricted by the target user's shell being listed in __/etc/shells__. If it's not listed, then it's assumed to be a restricted account, a normal su is performed, and those options are ignored silently.  
  
+A subsystem login is indicated by the presense of a "*" as the first character of the login shell. The given home directory will be used as the root of a new filesystem which the user is actually logged into.  
  
-The __-m__, __-p__ and __-s__ options are  
-restricted by the target user's shell being listed in  
-__/etc/shells__. If it's not listed, then it's assumed to  
-be a restricted account, a normal su is performed, and those  
-options are ignored silently.  
+!!CAVEATS  
  
  
-A subsystem login is indicated by the presense of a  
-!!CAVEATS  
-  
+This version of __su__ has many compilation options, only some of which may be in use at any particular site.  
  
-This version of __su__ has many compilation options, only  
-some of which may be in use at any particular  
-site.  
 !!Files 
-  
-  
 /etc/passwd - user account information 
 /etc/shadow - encrypted passwords and age information 
 /etc/shells - valid user shells 
-$HOME/.profile - initialization script for default  
- shell 
+$HOME/.profile - initialization script for default shell  
+  
 !!SEE ALSO 
+login(1), sh(1), __login.defs__ (5), shells(5)  
  
-  
-login(1), sh(1), __login.defs__(5),  
-shells(5)  
 !!AUTHOR 
-  
-  
 Julianne Frances Haugh (jfh@austin.ibm.com) 
-----  
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