* [su] New su utility messes with my PATH @ 2012-09-15 13:17 Thomas Bächler 2012-09-15 14:43 ` Pádraig Brady 0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread From: Thomas Bächler @ 2012-09-15 13:17 UTC (permalink / raw) To: util-linux; +Cc: Dave Reisner, Tobias Powalowski [-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 717 bytes --] 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? [-- Attachment #2: OpenPGP digital signature --] [-- Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 897 bytes --] ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [su] New su utility messes with my PATH 2012-09-15 13:17 [su] New su utility messes with my PATH Thomas Bächler @ 2012-09-15 14:43 ` Pádraig Brady 2012-09-20 9:47 ` Karel Zak 0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread From: Pádraig Brady @ 2012-09-15 14:43 UTC (permalink / raw) To: Thomas Bächler; +Cc: util-linux, Dave Reisner, Tobias Powalowski On 09/15/2012 02:17 PM, Thomas Bächler wrote: > 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? Ouch, I agree. su shouldn't be messing with PATH at all IMHO. cheers, Pádraig. ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [su] New su utility messes with my PATH 2012-09-15 14:43 ` Pádraig Brady @ 2012-09-20 9:47 ` Karel Zak 2012-09-21 7:54 ` Ludwig Nussel 2012-10-02 8:17 ` Karel Zak 0 siblings, 2 replies; 6+ messages in thread From: Karel Zak @ 2012-09-20 9:47 UTC (permalink / raw) To: Pádraig Brady, Werner Fink, Ludwig Nussel Cc: Thomas Bächler, util-linux, Dave Reisner, Tobias Powalowski On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 03:43:29PM +0100, Pádraig Brady wrote: > On 09/15/2012 02:17 PM, Thomas Bächler wrote: > >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? > > Ouch, I agree. > su shouldn't be messing with PATH at all IMHO. It's Suse patch, I guess there is/was any reason for the patch commit a6fdd3f8125be23930d955c2bc6b7a46cdaf8a12 Author: Werner Fink <werner@suse.de> Date: Tue Aug 17 09:09:55 2010 +0200 make sure /sbin resp /usr/sbin are in PATH Werner, Ludwig? What about to revert the patch? Karel -- Karel Zak <kzak@redhat.com> http://karelzak.blogspot.com ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [su] New su utility messes with my PATH 2012-09-20 9:47 ` Karel Zak @ 2012-09-21 7:54 ` Ludwig Nussel 2012-10-02 8:17 ` Karel Zak 1 sibling, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread From: Ludwig Nussel @ 2012-09-21 7:54 UTC (permalink / raw) To: Karel Zak Cc: Pádraig Brady, Werner Fink, Thomas Bächler, util-linux, Dave Reisner, Tobias Powalowski Karel Zak wrote: > On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 03:43:29PM +0100, Pádraig Brady wrote: >> On 09/15/2012 02:17 PM, Thomas Bächler wrote: >>> 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? >> >> Ouch, I agree. >> su shouldn't be messing with PATH at all IMHO. Well, su is such a mess that you better not make any assumptions about it. Avoid su if you can. > It's Suse patch, I guess there is/was any reason for the patch > > commit a6fdd3f8125be23930d955c2bc6b7a46cdaf8a12 > Author: Werner Fink <werner@suse.de> > Date: Tue Aug 17 09:09:55 2010 +0200 > > make sure /sbin resp /usr/sbin are in PATH > > > Werner, Ludwig? What about to revert the patch? Personally I don't really mind. I don't know the background of the patch though. IMO using 'su' instead of 'su -' is broken anyways so making the former less convenient may help teaching people to use 'su -' instead. cu Ludwig -- (o_ Ludwig Nussel //\ V_/_ http://www.suse.de/ SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, GF: Jeff Hawn, Jennifer Guild, Felix Imendörffer, HRB 16746 (AG Nürnberg) ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [su] New su utility messes with my PATH 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 1 sibling, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread From: Karel Zak @ 2012-10-02 8:17 UTC (permalink / raw) To: Pádraig Brady, Werner Fink, Ludwig Nussel Cc: Thomas Bächler, util-linux, Dave Reisner, Tobias Powalowski On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 11:47:04AM +0200, Karel Zak wrote: > commit a6fdd3f8125be23930d955c2bc6b7a46cdaf8a12 > Author: Werner Fink <werner@suse.de> > Date: Tue Aug 17 09:09:55 2010 +0200 > > make sure /sbin resp /usr/sbin are in PATH > > > Werner, Ludwig? What about to revert the patch? Reverted. Karel -- Karel Zak <kzak@redhat.com> http://karelzak.blogspot.com ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [su] New su utility messes with my PATH 2012-10-02 8:17 ` Karel Zak @ 2012-10-02 8:23 ` Thomas Bächler 0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread From: Thomas Bächler @ 2012-10-02 8:23 UTC (permalink / raw) To: Karel Zak Cc: Pádraig Brady, Werner Fink, Ludwig Nussel, util-linux, Dave Reisner, Tobias Powalowski [-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 451 bytes --] Am 02.10.2012 10:17, schrieb Karel Zak: > On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 11:47:04AM +0200, Karel Zak wrote: >> commit a6fdd3f8125be23930d955c2bc6b7a46cdaf8a12 >> Author: Werner Fink <werner@suse.de> >> Date: Tue Aug 17 09:09:55 2010 +0200 >> >> make sure /sbin resp /usr/sbin are in PATH >> >> >> Werner, Ludwig? What about to revert the patch? > > Reverted. > > Karel Thank you, much appreciated. [-- Attachment #2: OpenPGP digital signature --] [-- Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 897 bytes --] ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
end of thread, other threads:[~2012-10-02 8:23 UTC | newest] Thread overview: 6+ messages (download: mbox.gz follow: Atom feed -- links below jump to the message on this page -- 2012-09-15 13:17 [su] New su utility messes with my PATH Thomas Bächler 2012-09-15 14:43 ` 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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