"grep" not working

[David Bandel]

On 5/17/07, Bill Campbell <linux-sxs at celestial.com> wrote:
> On Thu, May 17, 2007, David Bandel wrote:
> >On 5/17/07, Net Llama! <netllama at linux-sxs.org> wrote:
> >> On Thu, 17 May 2007, Bill Campbell wrote:
> >> > On Thu, May 17, 2007, Net Llama! wrote:
> >> >> On Thu, 17 May 2007, David Bandel wrote:
> >> >>> Here's why I personally _never_ allow anyone (especially root) to have
> >> >>> "." in the PATH, and any personal directories ($HOME, $HOME/bin) last.
> >> >>>
> >> >>
> >> >> How do you prevent someone from running "export PATH=$PATH:." ?
> >> >
> >> > Linux/Unix is a system for adults, not children, so there's no
> >> > way to protect people from their own stupidity.  You may be able
> >> > to cure ignorance, but you can't fix stupid.
> >>
> >> Exactly, which is why I don't understand how David claims thath he
> >> prevents it.
> >
> >If you read what the original poster found, it was only when he used
> >`su -` picking up the users' environment -- the user had no chance to
> >enter export PATH=.:$PATH, so it was in the users' rc files.  In
> >/etc/skel, I link rc files to those in /etc/ which they can't change.
>
> Actually ``su -'' picks up the root login environment.  Omitting
> the ``-'' keeps the user's environment.
>

Ahhhh!  Let me go through this _really_ slow for those who didn't
reread the original post solution.

The guy went in as root and all worked.  He then ran `su - $USER`
(whoever that user is) and nothing worked because he picked up the
users' environment (what the '-' does).  He exited and run only `su
$USER` _not_ picking up the user's environment and it worked.  That
gave him the clue that something in the users' environment (like the
PATH variable) was hosed since he picked it up the first time, and
didn't the second time.

And yes, if you don't put a $USER after the su (with or without the
'-') root is assumed.

Is that better?  Jeez I hate all this unnecessary typing.  Someone
must think my name is Ric.

Ciao,

David A. Bandel
-- 
Focus on the dream, not the competition.
            - Nemesis Air Racing Team motto