Return to BSD News archive
Xref: sserve comp.unix.bsd.misc:69 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:1319
Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!msunews!agate!news.mindlink.net!vanbc.wimsey.com!ddsw1!not-for-mail
From: chilton@MCS.COM (Christopher Hilton)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: su root: who's in group "wheel"?
Date: 24 May 1995 10:18:59 -0500
Organization: /usr/lib/news/organi[sz]ation
Lines: 31
Message-ID: <3pvip3$t05@Mars.mcs.com>
References: <D92p8L.3xC@midway.uchicago.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: mars.mcs.com
In article <D92p8L.3xC@midway.uchicago.edu>,
Tim Pierce <twpierce@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>I'm seeing this behavior under FreeBSD 2.0R, but as far as I
>can tell, none of it is specific to FreeBSD.
>
>When you attempt to su root, it appears that su determines
>whether you're in group 0 by calling getgrgid, which, in
>turn, looks only in /etc/group. In other words, if your
>entry in /etc/passwd identifies you as a member of the wheel
>group, but your uid is not listed explicitly in /etc/group,
>su will not consider you part of the wheel group, and not
>permit you to su to root.
>
>Is this a bug in getgrgid, or in su? Or is it a bug at all?
>(Sure looks that way to me.)
Feature or design but definetly not bug, either way you have to be
listed in /etc/group to su to root. Is this one in the FAQ 'cause it
gets asked frequently?
C.
--
Christopher Sean Hilton E-mail: chilton@mcs.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ICBM address: | "Thus it is said if you know them and know
42 07 39 N/87 49 44 W | yourself, your victory will not be imperiled.
For PGP key finger: | If you know Heaven and you know Earth, your
chilton@mcs.com | victory will be complete." - Sun Tsu
----------------------------------------------------------------------