Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!munnari.oz.au!yoyo.aarnet.edu.au!sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au!levels!xtdn From: xtdn@levels.sait.edu.au Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: Re: Message-ID: <15917.27c718d6@levels.sait.edu.au> Date: 24 Feb 91 01:37:26 GMT References: <1991Feb22.004010.13359@zip.eecs.umich.edu> <15298@smoke.brl.mil> Organization: University of South Australia Lines: 14 gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) writes: > In article <1991Feb22.004010.13359@zip.eecs.umich.edu> bguthy@amazon.eecs.umich.edu (Bala S. Guthy) writes: >>"." should never be the first thing in one's $path. It had >>something to do with a security hole in Unix. > > It's not a "security hole in UNIX", it's just an unwise policy Which begs the question: why do many (most?) Unix's start their default PATH with ":"? This is effectively the same as starting PATH with ".". David Newall, who no longer works Phone: +61 8 344 2008 for SA Institute of Technology E-mail: xtdn@lux.sait.edu.au "Life is uncertain: Eat dessert first"