On 12Jul2007 20:43, Gautam Iyer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: | On 12Jul2007 17:42, Ryan Daly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: | > > If the vars are set by a user then root can't see them, and the same | > > applies the other way round. (I guess, can't test that now..) | > | > Let me clarify... | > When I'm logged in as root, I see no variables. | > | > I then completely log out and log back in again as a regular user and I | > can see the variables. | | Erm. This is a feature of "su" and not fvwm. I think su clears most | variables before starting a root shell. For instance if I do | | env ASDF=hello su - | | on my system, then root still can not see the environment "ASDF".
"su -" does a "login" style su, and discards the callers environment to produce a clean login environment. "su" without the "-" argument preserves the caller's environment. Personally, when I need a root shell for random admin work I do a plain "su" (and a little minor fiddling). But when I need to install stuff or restart services etc I do an "su -" to do that work from a pristine environment. | You | might be able to do some "pam" magic to disable this... Nope, but also not needed either. Cheers, -- Cameron Simpson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> DoD#743 http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/ From the New York Times: DOS Computers ... are by far the most popular, with about 70 million machines in use wordwide. On the other hand, cockroaches are far more numerous than humans, and numbers alone do not denote a higher life form.
