Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!husc6!cmcl2!dasys1!jpr
From: jpr@dasys1.uucp (Jean-Pierre Radley)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: using "su" without keying in the password
Keywords: password su
Message-ID: <1990Mar25.214442.3561@dasys1.uucp>
Date: 25 Mar 90 21:44:42 GMT
References: <1990Mar14.202740.5044@neptune.UUCP>
Reply-To: jpr@dasys1.UUCP (Jean-Pierre Radley)
Distribution: na
Organization: TANGENT
Lines: 14

In article <1990Mar14.202740.5044@neptune.UUCP> orr@neptune.UUCP (Rick Orr) writes:
> Is there a way to use the "su" command in a script and have the
> script supply the password, without it having to be typed. 
> I have tried several ways without any success.

I believe the password routine in 'su' and elsewhere wants to read
/dev/tty. IOW, it insists on being interactive, for what would appear to
be security reasons. 

Hence 'su' won't take the password from its standard input. Ergo, it won't
take it from a script.
-- 
Jean-Pierre Radley					      jpr@jpradley.uucp
New York, NY					      72160.1341@compuserve.com