Changing Root's Shell

[Achilles_2]

Hi all,

My server model:
ia64 hp server rx2600

OS version:
B.11.23

I give root a REAL ksh shell at bootup, so I change the "/sbin/sh" line for root in the /etc/passwd file to "/sbin/ksh" then do this:
cp -p /usr/bin/ksh /sbin/ksh

Also I create the file /etc/shells with the access permissions 664, the content includes:
/bin/ksh
/sbin/ksh
/sbin/sh
/usr/bin/ksh
/usr/bin/rksh
/usr/bin/sh

Finally, it failed to execute the following command:

/sbin/ksh: tis4: not found

which tis4 represents:
alias tis4="rlogin tiscmcs4 -l root" in .kshrc file.

Thanks you for your helps
Alex

[Michael Tully]

There is one very big problem with the logic, the 'root' account *MUST* have /sbin/sh as it's shell. No if's or but's *MUST*
Your system can be rendered fairly useless without it. There are a zillion posts on this subject.

[Michael Tully · Accepted solution]

Here is a good post that explains in more detail.

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/parseCurl.do?CURL=%2Fcm%2FQuestionAnswer%2F1%2C%2C0x2efaa14d9abcd4118fef0090279cd0f9%2C00.html&admit=716493758+1084937057207+28353475

[A. Clay Stephenson]

First of all, you didn't need to change root's shell at all. It is a fully functional version of the POSIX shell and except for very esoteric differences it is a Korn shell - a superset, in fact. Secondly, if you did change root shell to something else you must create a statically linked version. That is the difference between /sbin/sh and /usr/bin/sh. They are functionally equivalent but there is an iportant distinction. /sbin/sh will execute as a standalone program but the /usr/bin version won't because it relies upon shared library code in /usr. Now ask yourself, how are you going to execute a shell to mount /usr unless the shell itself doesn't require /usr?

[Steven E. Protter]

DON'T change it.

If you persist, I would suggest updating the reasume.

Root needs its default shell. If you made the change, put it back before you boot the machine.

SEP

[Patrick Wallek]

Do NOT reboot your machine until you change the shell back to /sbin/sh in /etc/passwd. If you do reboot it is VERY likely that your machine won't boot.

As has been said above the root account ABSOLUTELY MUST have /sbin/sh as its shell.

If you insist on using something do:

# exec /usr/bin/ksh

AFTER you log in to the system as root. Don't put it in your .profile or anything just execute that command at the command line. Now you have ksh.

[KapilRaj]

NEVER ................

Kaps

[Joseph Loo]

hi,

look at the "uproar" u have cause, all the warnings are out. please do what u have to do to avoid a major problem with your server.

regards.

[Achilles_2]

I have checked that the path isn't same as other server.

root@tisdev:/ # which ksh
/usr/bin/ksh
root@tisdev:/ # which tar
/usr/bin/tar

root@GZDT-2:/.root # which ksh
/bin/ksh
root@GZDT-2:/.root # which tar
/bin/tar

How can I solve it ?
Alex

[Achilles_2]

I mean that /usr/bin/ksh is correct path.
I want to change /bin/ksh path to the correct one.

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

Hi Alex,

Check your PATH env variables on both servers.

# echo $PATH

should be /usr/bin not /bin

Hope this helps,
Robert-Jan

[Achilles_2]

Thanks all your helps
The problem is solved out!!!

Regards
Alex

[Kent Ostby]

Alex --
/bin is linked to /usr/bin so that is why you will see similar things.

If you want ksh then the easiest way to do this correctly is to set up a second root user .. call it "root2" or whatever and give that user the ksh. Make sure the user has uid 0 just like root.

Then when you log in as root and want ksh, do a su - root2.

Best regards,

Kent M. Ostby