Problem with su -

[Bob Goodwin]

On 05/03/12 10:16, Aaron Konstam wrote:
> On Mon, 2012-03-05 at 09:39 -0500, Bob Goodwin wrote:
>> I have an F-16 computer that was working normally a couple of
>>          days ago when run this morning has an unusual [to me] problem.
>>
>>          When I su and type in the root password form the XCFE desktop it
>>          spends about 20 seconds before displaying a prompt and then
>>          instead of:
>>
>>              [bobg at box6 ~]$ su
>>              Password:
>>              [root at box6 bobg]# exit
>>
>>
>>          I get a prompt:  bash-4.2#
>>
>>          If instead of bringing up the desktop with startx I "su" it
>>          changes to root quickly after entering the password, also with
>>          the  prompt "bash-4.2#."
>>
>>          Other than that it apparently works? But obviously something has
>>          changed and I can't guess what?
>>
>>          Bob
>>
>>
>>
>>
> I am not sure what you really want to do, but if you want to become root
> you need to execute su - not su.

        The computer is doing what I want it to do but the indications
        are wrong.
        The prompt should be [root at box6 bobg]# and I should get there
        immediately not twenty seconds after pressing "Enter."

        Bob