From owner-freebsd-questions Sun May 10 20:45:40 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id UAA29446 for freebsd-questions-outgoing; Sun, 10 May 1998 20:45:40 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from pobox.com (hyaenictitherium.mdm.mke.execpc.com [169.207.70.68]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id UAA29424 for ; Sun, 10 May 1998 20:45:30 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from hamilton@pobox.com) Message-Id: <199805110345.UAA29424@hub.freebsd.org> Received: (qmail 27150 invoked from network); 10 May 1998 22:44:22 -0500 Received: from localhost (HELO pobox.com) (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 10 May 1998 22:44:22 -0500 To: Doug White cc: questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Cron In-reply-to: Your message of "Sun, 10 May 1998 12:02:20 PDT." Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: Sun, 10 May 1998 22:44:22 -0500 From: Jon Hamilton Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG In message , Doug Whit e writes: } On Sat, 9 May 1998, Shawn Ramsey wrote: } } > > > in order to fix this i just need to change the roots shell to sh??? } > > } > > Yes. You should never change root's shell, no matter how tempting. } > } > What are the consquences of changed root's shell?? I've changed root shell, } > and havent noticed any problems... } } 1) Unintended changes to scripts run as root. I've often seen/heard this claim, but frankly I don't buy it: 1) How many shell scripts exist on your system which don't begin with the magic #! on the first line? 2) Even without the magic, the default interpreter is sh; even if you are running csh as your login shell, executing a script from the command line will fire it off with /bin/sh if there is no magic number at the head. } 2) Shared-lib issues -- pick the wrong shell and you won't be able to } login as root if, say, /usr or /lib dies and takes libc with it. } /bin/sh is statically linked. This is a more persuasive argument. Let me quickly interject that I never change root's shell; I'm a firm believer in the "do as little as root as you can" maxim, and for as often as I need to be root to do anything "major", I don't find it too difficult to type a few characters to start up the shell of my choice. -- Jon Hamilton hamilton@pobox.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message