Re: bash as login shell

From: Jeff Hyman (scolist_at_cactus.com)
Date: 02/24/04 

Date: 24 Feb 2004 17:06:36 -0500

Stuart J. Browne typed (on Wed, Feb 25, 2004 at 08:38:31AM +1100):
|
| "Bill Vermillion" <bv@wjv.comREMOVE> wrote in message
| news:HtKsyK.usI@wjv.com...
| > In article <403ad86d$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au>,
| > Stuart J. Browne <stuart@promed.com.au> wrote:
| > >
| > >"David P. Lurie" <abc@def.net> wrote in message
| > >news:103lgk7fpboc995@corp.supernews.com...
| > >> 5.0.7 with all update and maintenance packs, security patches
| > >>
| > >> I would like to change the login shell to bash for both root and my
| > >regular
| > >> account, but no explicit choice for bash occurs in the drop down list
| on
| > >> Account Manager.
| > >>
| > >> A test user account was created, "/usr/bash" was entered manually for
| > >login
| > >> shell, "add shell environment files to home directory" was checked,
| and
| > >the
| > >> account login seems to proceed normally to a functioning bash shell. I
| > >had
| > >> previously invoked bash from a command prompt.
| > >>
| > >> The dropdown list of shell choices includes /usr/bash for the new
| user,
| > >but
| > >> not other users after selecting "change login shell" in Account
| manager.
| > >I
| > >> assume that manual entry of "/usr/bash" and checking the shell
| > >environment
| > >> option would work for previous users as well.
| > >>
| > >> Is this approach likely to cause any problems?
| >
| > >For the root user, yes. The root user's shell is used for many
| > >things other than just a user (you should have a user with lots
| > >of privileges to do most admin anyway).
| >
| > >As most here will advise you, don't use bash as your default
| > >root shell Invoke it manually, or from the root user's profile
| > >instead.
| >
| > I recall seeing some weirdness in the past coming in to fix systems
| > and found the root shell had been changed to csh.
| >
| > I've seen enough weirdness in bash that it's not good to put it in
| > for root. That being said I've put in the ksh as root shell with
| > no problems at all, and all the advantages. But that is just a
| > data point of 1 person on several systems.
|
| We use ksh for the root shell on all of our OSR boxes. Have been doing so
| for many years without incident.
|
| bkx
|
|
Ditto

# grep root /etc/passwd

root:x:0:3:Jeff Hyman [root]:/:/bin/ksh
   
- Jeff Hyman

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