Problem with su -

[jdow]

On 2012/03/06 06:50, Bob Goodwin wrote:
> On 06/03/12 09:29, jdow wrote:
>> On 2012/03/06 01:49, Bob Goodwin wrote:
>>> [ "$PS1" = "\\s-\\v\\\$ " ] && PS1="[\u@\h \W]\\$ "
>>
>> Bob, it's this line. Find it by looking for the line below it:
>> shopt -s checkwinsize
>>
>> Your /etc/bashrc file is not getting run in the case you cite, using
>> an unadorned "su" to get to root privileges but not root configuration.
>> So you've intentionally or unintentionally done something which prevents
>> /etc/bashrc from getting run during the configuration phase just after
>> entering the root password for "su".
>>
>> So far nobody else seems to be saying "me too". So my conclusion is that
>> something you did messed it up. This is a maze of twisty little passages.
>> It may be hard to figure it out.
>>
>
> Yes, I am certain it is not a general Fedora problem, never
> meant to imply that. I think it began when I had a problem with
> yum install Thunar, I barely recall the sequence but I simply
> uninstalled and started over, finished what I was working on and
> the didn't turn on the computer over the weekend, found problem
> Monday morning.
>
>
>> The tentative obvious solution is to not use "su". Instead make it a proper
>> login shell using "su -". (I'm not sure there's a good case to use "su" alone,
>> ever. You generally use su to get a shell that behaves like a root shell with
>> all the root utilities available without having to use full path names.)
>
> Usually if I try to do something and it tells me I need root
> permissions I simply do su not su -, rarely need the latter, but
> perhaps there is something I am missing there? I tend to just do
> what works for me which may not be best ...
>
>
>>
>> {^_^}
>
> All is happiness and light now after the last go-around:
>
>
> "You mean you don't have a /root/.bash_profile and /root/.bashrc ???
>
> The "good box"???
>
> If you don't have them....copy them from the good box....
>
>
>
> Did that and that appears to have corrected the problem!
>
> I thought I had determined those files were present earlier but
> it appears that I got confused with copying between users and
> computers. My apologies if I have prolonged the pain. "
>
> Thanks for the help,
>
> Bob

Some interesting paths get setup with "su -" and the files in /etc/profile.d
that end with .sh get run, which will affect the operation of the various
programs involved. It's not much. But having the right paths can sometimes
allow scripted solutions that don't use full path names to work better since
the files they use will be more likely to be on the current PATH.

{^_^}