su(8)                               CLIX                               su(8)



  NAME

    su - Accesses another user account

  SYNOPSIS

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

  DESCRIPTION

    The su command allows one to become another user without logging off.  The
    default user name is root (or superuser).

    To use su, the appropriate password must be supplied (unless one is
    already root).  If the password is correct, su will execute a new shell
    with the real and effective user identification set to that of the
    specified user.  The new shell will be the optional program named in the
    shell field of the specified user's password file entry (see passwd), or
    /bin/sh if none is specified (see sh).  To restore normal user ID
    privileges, enter an end-of-file character (the <Ctrl-D> sequence) 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, an arg of the
    form -c string executes string with the shell and an arg of -r will give
    the user 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.
    If the first argument to su is a -, the environment will be changed to
    what would be expected if the user actually logged in as the specified
    user.  This is done by invoking the program used as the shell with an arg0
    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 $PATH, which is set to
    /bin:/etc:/usr/bin for root.  Note that if the optional program used as
    the shell is /bin/sh, the user's .profile can check arg0 for -sh -su to
    determine if it was invoked by login or su, respectively.  If the user's
    program is other than /bin/sh, then .profile is invoked with an arg0 of -
    program by both login and su.

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

  EXAMPLES

    1.  To become user bin while retaining your previously exported
        environment, key in:

        su bin



  2/94 - Intergraph Corporation                                              1

  su(8)                               CLIX                               su(8)



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

        su - bin


    3.  To execute command with the temporary environment and permissions of
        user bin, key in the following:

        su - bin -c command args


  FILES

    /etc/passwd
           System password file.

    /etc/profile
           System profile.

    $HOME/.profile
           User profile.

    /usr/adm/sulog
           Log file.

  NOTES

    The su command does not recognize password aging, and will allow access to
    accounts with the command-dot (,.) password without forcing a password to
    be entered.

  RELATED INFORMATION

    Commands:  env(1), login(1), sh(1)

    Files:  environ(4), passwd(4), profile(4)

















  2                                              Intergraph Corporation - 2/94