Very Computer

|Our users want to change the root shell to /bin/ksh.

On computers where a user who needs root access wants to use a
shell other than /sbin/sh, one option is to create another root
account with the desired shell.  For example (in the /etc/passwd
file, with corresponding entries in the /etc/shadow file):

root:x:0:1:Super-User:/:/sbin/sh
rootksh:x:0:1:Super-User:/:/usr/bin/ksh

But you do have to remember to change both root passwords when
you want to change the root password.

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How about the user typing in /bin/ksh after logging in as root? It works
in multi-admin groups because some prefer csh, tsch, or bash. Otherwise,
maybe set up a menu in the .profile so they can select a shell when they
log in.

Another option is to put the following lines in the /.profile (assuming
it exists):

### set any generic environment variables and export them
if [ -x /usr/bin/ksh ] ## or whatever shell/path you want
then
        SHELL=ksh # no path needed here
        export SHELL
        exec ksh  # no path needed here either
fi

I have used this for several years now with no negative effects that I
have found.  Setting the SHELL variable inside the if will ensure that
subshells from vi, etc. as well as terminal windows under CDE or
OpenWindows will run your preferred shell.  And when your preferred
shell is not available, you will get the old standby /sbin/sh so
hopefully the best of two worlds.

----
Bob McGowan
i'm bobmcgow at xstor dot com
Storage Dimensions, Inc.

i define this shell function in my personal .bashrc. it should work
under ksh or sh. i have not tried that but it should be easy to fix. the
-login is bash specific and it is needed so you get the root's .bashrc
read. if you don't ant hat you can delete it or change it for another
shell's login force option.

function xtroot() {
      (my_xterm -T root -n root -e su - root -c "exec $SHELL -login" &)

Quote:}

works like a charm!

uri

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Quote:> How about the user typing in /bin/ksh after logging in as root? It works
> in multi-admin groups because some prefer csh, tsch, or bash. Otherwise,
> maybe set up a menu in the .profile so they can select a shell when they
> log in.

XTerm*VT100.translations:       #override \n\
        <Key>F3: set-scrollbar(toggle) \n\
        <Key>F4: string("test -x /usr/local/bin/bash && exec bash ; exec ksh\nset -o emacs\n") \n\
        <Key>F5: string("PS1=`uname -n|cut -d. -f1,2`'# '\n")
--
Vibrating Bum-Faced Goats

If the rc script ends with sh, then . is used. if it does not end
with sh, then sh is used. My question is, under what shell . is used?
I do not think it is root shell as defined in passwd etc. But again
what shell? Thanks.

                        case ${f} in
                                *.sh)   .        ${f} ;;        # source it
                                *)      /sbin/sh ${f} start ;;  # sub shell
                        esac

Quote:>_exactly_ the same and the Bourne shell itself? Not all of the scripts
>in /etc/init.d and /etc/rc* specify a shell; do any differences between
>sh and ksh really matter?

[[ PLEASE DON'T SEND ME EMAIL COPIES OF POSTINGS ]]

Since the script runs in /sbin/sh this means that *all* init scripts are
*always* run by /sbin/sh, no exceptions.

Casper
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Statements on Sun products included here are not gospel and may
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