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From: rhodes@grebyn.com (Ned Rhodes)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Problems with su SOLVED!
Message-ID: <19384@grebyn.com>
Date: 15 Feb 90 21:53:49 GMT
Reply-To: rhodes@grebyn.com (Ned Rhodes)
Followup-To: comp.unix.questions
Organization: Software Systems Group, Arlington, VA
Lines: 25


	Many thanks to the people who responded to my query for help 
with the problems that I had with su.  For the record, they were, 
Bennet Todd, Nik Simpson, Bill Houle, Doug Gwyn, Michael Corrigan,
Greg Lockwood, Alan Deehr, Mark Hewitt, Carl Lowenstein Chris Johnson and Don
Nichols. 

	Basically the suggestions boiled down to three major areas.  First
it was suspected that there was corruption in the passwd file.  A run of
/etc/pwck showed otherwise.  Secondly, it was suggested that the shell file
was actually missing, which it was not.  Thirdly, a permission problem was
suggested in /bin/login or /bin/sh or at the root ("/") level.

	It turns out that the problem was a permission problem.  Only root
had access to /, and so su and login could not read the disk.  Obviously the
solution is easy once you recognize the symptom.  I guess I was hoping for
an error message like "Cannot access foobar", rather than "no Shell", which
is supposed to cover a number of error possibilities.

	Once again, thank you all for suggesting solutions.
-- 
Ned W. Rhodes                   (703) 534-2297 (voice)
Software Systems Group          (703) 237-9654 (fax)
2001 North Kenilworth Street	CompuServe : 71321,424
Arlington, VA  22205            rhodes@grebyn.COM