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From: jfh@killer.UUCP (The Beach Bum)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: execing a shell & .profile
Message-ID: <1261@killer.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-Jul-87 18:59:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: killer.1261
Posted: Fri Jul 31 18:59:47 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Aug-87 09:44:57 EDT
References: <8528@brl-adm.ARPA>
Organization: Big "D" Home for Wayward Hackers
Lines: 28
Summary: make the name -sh in argv[0] when you exec /bin/sh

In article <8528@brl-adm.ARPA>, drears@ARDEC.arpa (FSAC) writes:
>    The program sets up a environment for them and then execs /bin/sh.
> The person is then placed in that group account.  What I would like to
> do is have the shell execute the .profile and possibly /etc/profile.
> Is there any way I can tell /bin/sh to execute .profile or
> /etc/profile?  I know I can have the user type . .profile but I do not
> want this.

sure, the manual page for the shell, under the section marked `Invocation'
states, and i quote,

	"If the shell is invoked through exec(2) and the first character
	of argument zero is -, commands are initially read from /etc/profile
	and from $HOME/.profile, if such files exist."

		-- Plexus Sys5 Unix User's Reference Manual.

this has been a fairly constant feature of unix since the old days, except
that /etc/profile was added sometime around system 3 days.  you will need
to do something about the $HOME/.profile mess, such as set $HOME to the
correct directory for the group.

- john.
-- 
John F. Haugh II		HECI Exploration Co. Inc.
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