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From: mouse@mcgill-vision.UUCP (der Mouse)
Newsgroups: comp.bugs.4bsd
Subject: 4.3 /etc/shells
Message-ID: <550@mcgill-vision.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Nov-86 16:00:39 EST
Article-I.D.: mcgill-v.550
Posted: Tue Nov 11 16:00:39 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Nov-86 00:03:34 EST
References: <1884@emory.UUCP> <1883@emory.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: McGill University, Montreal
Lines: 37

> Subject: 4.3 /bin/passwd does not deal with /etc/shells properly
> Repeat-By:
>	Run passwd to request a new shell. Ask for a shell that is
>	before your old shell in the list in /etc/shells.

> Subject: 4.3 vipw does not allow root to have a shell in /etc/shells
> Repeat-By:
>	Edit the password file with vipw, and try to change root's
>	shell to a shell listed in /etc/shells, but not /bin/sh or
>	/bin/csh, (e.g., /bin/ksh). Watch vipw complain about mangling
>	the password file.

Could someone explain what this /etc/shells silliness is all about?
Why joe user can't change his shell to whatever he pleases??  I see no
reason to restrict users in their choice of shells - in fact, this is
one of the things usually quoted as a great strength of UNIX.  Or is
this an attempt to protect people from themselves?  Why assume they
*need* protection from themselves?  If I wanted to run another shell on
a system with this sort of stupidity I'd just specify /bin/sh and have
a one-line .profile
exec /.../myshell "$@"
or use /bin/csh and have a similar .cshrc -- so you really don't buy
anything.  Just user aggravation and extra trash to maintain.

By the way, I would argue that the second "bug" I quoted above is not a
bug.  One of the uses of root is to fix things when they break.
Suppose ksh is broken?  Then you can't log in as root, you have to boot
single-user (involving bringing the system down).

					der Mouse

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