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From: phs@lifia.UUCP (Philippe Schnoebelen)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Why does vipw *require* /bin/csh ?
Message-ID: <2647@lifia.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Aug-87 12:03:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: lifia.2647
Posted: Thu Aug  6 12:03:24 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Aug-87 00:47:18 EDT
Reply-To: phs@lifia.UUCP (Philippe Schnoebelen)
Followup-To: comp.unix.questions
Distribution: world
Organization: Lab. LIFIA  --  Univ. Grenoble
Lines: 17
Keywords: vipw
Xref: mnetor comp.unix.questions:3533 comp.unix.wizards:3623

When you call vipw in order to modify the passwd file under UNIX BSD4.3, it
performs several so called "sanity checks", e.g.  that you have su'ed, that
noone else  is currently modifying  it, ...  but more surprisingly  it also
verifies that your shell  is bin/csh or /bin/sh, which  forbids  you to use
another shell when su'ed.

Is there a good reason for this ?  Is there any  way around this other than
patching the source and recompiling ? Is there any danger in doing so ?

Thanks in advance,
--
Philippe SCHNOEBELEN,
LIFIA - INPG,                                         UUCP : phs@lifia.imag.fr
46, Avenue Felix VIALLET
38000 Grenoble, FRANCE

"Algebraic symbols are used when you do not know what you are talking about."