su1User Commandssuchange user ID or become super-usersu- usernameargsDESCRIPTIONsu is used to become another user during a login
session. Invoked without a username, su defaults to
becoming the super user. The optional argument may
be used to provide an environment similar to what the user would
expect had the user logged in directly.
Additional arguments may be provided after the username, in which
case they are supplied to the user´s login shell. In particular,
an argument of will cause the next argument to be
treated as a command by most command interpreters. The command will be
executed by the shell specified in /etc/passwd
for the target user.
The user will be prompted for a password, if appropriate. Invalid
passwords will produce an error message. All attempts, both valid and
invalid, are logged to detect abuses of the system.
The current environment is passed to the new shell. The value of
$PATH is reset to
/bin:/usr/bin for normal users, or
/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin for the super user.
This may be changed with the ENV_PATH
and ENV_SUPATH definitions in
/etc/login.defs.
A subsystem login is indicated by the presense of a "*" as the
first character of the login shell. The given home directory will be
used as the root of a new filesystem which the user is actually logged
into.
CAVEATS
This version of su has many compilation options,
only some of which may be in use at any particular site.
FILES/etc/passwduser account information/etc/shadowsecure user account informationSEE ALSOlogin1,
sh1,
login.defs5,
suauth5AUTHORJulianne Frances Haugh <jockgrrl@ix.netcom.com>