*BSD News Article 64039


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From: mike@calypso.bns.com.au (Michael Talbot-Wilson)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Is replacing /bin/sh with bash recommended?
Date: 23 Mar 1996 23:00:58 +1030
Organization: Calypso & That Jazz
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eng30219@leonis.nus.sg (GONG WEI) writes:

>Terry Lambert (terry@lambert.org) wrote:

>: Expect the /etc/rc to fail to load because bash is linked
>: against shared libraries and the libraries are on /usr and /usr
>: isn't mounted until /etc/rc has run.

>Actually, what I have done is, compile bash statically, put it
>in /bin, then make a hard link to sh, which means, to overwrite the 
>original sh. So you can just resume your operation as usual. :-)

>I am using "GNU bash, version 1.14.6(1)" and the file size is: 
>-r-xr-xr-x  2 bin  bin  442368 Feb 29 20:24 /bin/bash*

Hmm.  I'm using 1.14.5(1) on FreeBSD and the file size is 1445504
bytes.  I let configure have its head and didn't expressly put
-static in LDFLAGS.  I'd do it again, and do that, before deleting or
renaming sh.  Sure hope you're right about your binary.

>: In general, it's a bad idea.
>This depends, if the user like to work with bash(like me), then this should
>be a good idea for hime/her. :-)

As someone else said, it's unnecessary.  You can use bash for your
shell (install with vipw) without deleting sh (actually, FreeBSD sh
is ash).

>One more thing, if you like, better change root's default shell to bash and
>modify /etc/shell accordingly.

Modify /etc/shells by adding the boutique shell, whatever it is, not
by replacing /bin/sh there. 

>Good Luck!

Remember there is a /stand/sh.  Leave it there and just remember it.  Then
if the disaster warned of by Terry Lambert befalls and the kernel prompts
you for a shell you will have one.