*BSD News Article 99419


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From: j@ida.interface-business.de (J Wunsch)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.misc
Subject: Re: su stands for...?
Date: 11 Jul 1997 08:26:04 GMT
Organization: interface business GmbH, Dresden
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Reply-To: joerg_wunsch@interface-business.de (Joerg Wunsch)
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xxbbell@voicenet.com (Bob) wrote:

> 	Okay, here's a question for those of you who have been around
> for a while: what does "su" stand for?  We are currently debating
> whether it stands for "super-user", "setuid", or "substitute user".

This has been debated at large lately in some BSD groups, look for a
thread about ``Unix acronyms''.

There's no definite answer to it.  To summarize, it seems the meaning
has simply changed over time, from `superuser' to `substitute user' or
`switch user ID'.  Systems up to V6 only allowed to assume the root
identity using this command, and V7 added the ability to assume an
arbitrary user's identity.

-- 
J"org Wunsch					       Unix support engineer
joerg_wunsch@interface-business.de       http://www.interface-business.de/~j