Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!ATHENA.MIT.EDU!jik
From: jik@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jonathan I. Kamens)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Help wanted with xterm
Message-ID: <8904300924.AA11530@OLIVER.MIT.EDU>
Date: 30 Apr 89 09:24:33 GMT
References: <1874@etive.ed.ac.uk>
Sender: daemon@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU
Organization: The Internet
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   Running the version of xterm off the X11R3 tape on a pyramid 98XE
   (OS4.4) works fine apart from the "su" command. If I type "su", the
   password prompt is displayed, followed immediately by "Sorry" and
   an exit status of 2 from su - it never gives me a chance to type
   the password. The same version of xterm works fine on Ultrix and
   SunOS. (su works OK normally).

This sounds like you are running an xterm that has not been made
setuid root.  If the xterm is not setuid root, then it cannot write an
entry into /etc/utmp for you when it grabs the tty.  I believe
(although I am not sure) that su requires that there be an entry for
your tty in /etc/utmp.

Jonathan Kamens			              USnail:
MIT Project Athena				410 Memorial Drive, No. 223F
jik@Athena.MIT.EDU				Cambridge, MA 02139-4318
Office: 617-253-4261			      Home: 617-225-8218