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Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.x,alt.os.linux,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,gnu.misc.discuss,comp.unix.solaris Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!news.unimelb.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!feed1.news.erols.com!howland.erols.net!rill.news.pipex.net!pipex!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!news00.sunet.se!sunic!mn6.swip.net!seunet!mn4.swip.net!lorelei!not-for-mail From: hoh@approve.se.NO_JUNK_EMAIL (Goran Larsson) Subject: Re: unix acronyms -collecting a list? Message-ID: <1997May16.222330.12894@lorelei.approve.se> Originator: hoh@approve.se.NO_JUNK_EMAIL (Goran Larsson) Sender: hoh@lorelei.approve.se.NO_JUNK_EMAIL (Goran Larsson) Organization: [1] + 5934 done /bin/rm -rf ~/ & X-No-Archive: yes X-Newsreader: trn 4.0-test57 (27 Apr 97) References: <5kd2ng$c8b$1@rzsun02.rrz.uni-hamburg.de> <337B106B.4021@att.com> <5li53q$gvo@overload.lbl.gov> <337C9EFF.10B4D946@uniQserve.com> Date: Fri, 16 May 1997 22:23:30 GMT Lines: 43 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.shell:45095 comp.os.linux.misc:175746 comp.os.linux.x:61806 alt.os.linux:21265 comp.unix.bsd.misc:3293 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:41087 gnu.misc.discuss:31337 comp.unix.solaris:106756 In article <337C9EFF.10B4D946@uniQserve.com>, Dr. Borg <vladiQmip@uniQserve.com> wrote: > Brian V. Smith wrote: > > The SunOs 4.1.3 "man 1 su" has "super-user": > > > > SU(1V) USER COMMANDS SU(1V) > > > > NAME > > su - super-user, temporarily switch to a new user ID > > This is obviously wrong. One can 'su' from one user to another > and it doesn't have to be superuser. Also, one can 'su' from What the command does today is one thing, what it was used for historically is another. I tend to believe the SunOS 4 manpage as it is older than the GNU and SunOs 5 manpages. Furthermore, I have here a historical document with the title UNIX Programmer's Manual Volume 2 - Supplementary Documents Seventh Edition January 10, 1979 and it has this description for su: SU Temporarily become the super user with all the rights and privileges thereof. Requires a password. There is that "super user" thing again, but nothing about "switch user" or "substitute user." > superuser status to a regular user with normal privileges. I > think "Switch User" has been so far the best interpretation of > 'su' in this thread. It describes the current use of the su program, but it is not the original description as found in older documents. -- Goran Larsson mailto:hoh @ approve . se I was an atheist, http://home1.swipnet . se/%7Ew-12153/ until I found out I was God.