SU(1)                                SysV                                SU(1)



NAME
     su - become super-user or another user

SYNOPSIS
     su [ - ] [ name [ arg ... ] ]

DESCRIPTION
     su allows you to be recognized as another user without logging off.  The
     default user name is root (i.e., super-user).

     su requires that you supply the appropriate password (unless you are
     already root).  If the password is correct, su executes a new shell with
     the real and effective user ID set to that of the specified user.  The
     new shell is determined in the same manner as that used by the login(1)
     command (See login(1) for more information).  To restore normal user ID
     privileges, type an EOF (CTRL/D) to the new shell.

     Any additional arguments given on the command line are passed to the
     program invoked as the shell.  When using programs like sh(1), an
     argument of the form -c string executes string via the shell, and an
     argument such as -r gives you a restricted shell.

     The following statements are true only if the optional program named in
     the shell field of the specified user's password file entry is like
     sh(1).  If the first argument to su is a dash (-), the environment is
     changed to what would be expected if you actually logged in as the
     specified user.  This is done by invoking the program used as the shell
     with an argument value whose first character is -, thus causing first the
     system's profile (/etc/profile) and then the specified user's profile
     (.profile in the new HOME directory) to be executed.  Otherwise, the
     environment is passed along with the possible exception of USER and PATH.
     PATH is set to /bin:/etc:/usr/bin:/usr/apollo/bin for root.  The dash (-)
     option must be followed by a space if specified with another option.

     Note that if the optional program used as the shell is /bin/sh, your
     .profile can check arg0 for -sh or -su to determine if it was invoked by
     login(1) or su respectively.  If your program is other than /bin/sh, then
     .profile is invoked with an arg0 of -program by both login(1) and su.

     All attempts to become another user using su are logged in the log file
     /usr/adm/sulog.

EXAMPLES
     To become user bin while retaining your previously exported environment,
     execute the following:

          su bin

     To become user bin but change the environment to what would be expected
     if bin had originally logged in, execute:

          su - bin
     To execute command with the temporary environment and permissions of user
     bin, type:

          su - bin -c command args

FILES
     /etc/profile   System's profile

     $HOME.profile  User's profile

     /usr/adm/sulog Log file

SEE ALSO
     env(1), login(1), sh(1), passwd(4), environ(5), passwd_override(5).