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From: "Thomas Bächler" <thomas@archlinux.org>
To: util-linux@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Dave Reisner <d@falconindy.com>, Tobias Powalowski <tpowa@archlinux.org>
Subject: [su] New su utility messes with my PATH
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2012 15:17:27 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <50547FE7.204@archlinux.org> (raw)

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I found what I think is absolutely unexpected behaviour in the new su
utility. It seems to have been introduced by commit a6fdd3f8.

It is about /sbin and /usr/sbin being in the path: Whenever you switch
to a non-root user, they are removed from the path, and when you switch
to root, they are added. I find it completely unexpected that su (when
not running with -l) messes with my environment at all.

Commands like
 PATH=... su -c "cmd" user
do not work as expected.

In my opinion, when you wish your path (or anything in the environment)
to change you should a) use -l to start a login shell or b) configure
your scripts to take care of it.

I propose to revert the mentioned patch. Opinions?


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             reply	other threads:[~2012-09-15 13:17 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 6+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2012-09-15 13:17 Thomas Bächler [this message]
2012-09-15 14:43 ` [su] New su utility messes with my PATH Pádraig Brady
2012-09-20  9:47   ` Karel Zak
2012-09-21  7:54     ` Ludwig Nussel
2012-10-02  8:17     ` Karel Zak
2012-10-02  8:23       ` Thomas Bächler

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