How to change the default login Shell in FreeBSD

paragkalra · 04-13-2009, 04:06 AM

I have a FreeBSD machine.

I have a user called 'test'. Under '/etc/passwd' file, I have set the login shell for that user to '/usr/local/bin/bash'

However when I am doing, 'su - test', I am being taken to 'C Shell' (csh).

The reason seems to be that enviromental variable "SHELL" for the test user is set to "C Shell",

How can I permanently change the "SHELL" variable and set it to "BASH" shell.

reddazz · 04-13-2009, 04:41 AM

Have you tried running "chsh -s /usr/local/bin/bash" whilst logged in as the user?

da1 · 04-13-2009, 06:57 AM

You can achieve this by many ways:

1) google
2) edit /etc/master.password , edit the users line, and change the part where it states the login absolute shell path
3) like reddazz sayd (chsh)
4) pw usermod <user> <changes> (read man for this) [ex: pw usermod <user> -s /bin/bash ]
5) google
6) on solaris there is "passwd -e" but doesn't work on F-BSD

aaa, isn't BSD family nice. It allowes you to do whatever you like, in so many different ways

vermaden · 04-13-2009, 07:44 AM

Quote:

2) edit /etc/master.password , edit the users line, and change the part where it states the login absolute shell path

Always use vipw(8) for that.

anomie · 04-13-2009, 03:46 PM

Also note that you have to actually install the shells/bash port (if you haven't already).

See the manpages for chpass(1). On FreeBSD systems, chpass is hardlinked to chsh, BTW.

Code:

> ls -i /usr/bin/chpass /usr/bin/chsh 
212201 /usr/bin/chpass  212201 /usr/bin/chsh

rocket357 · 04-13-2009, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paragkalra

I have a FreeBSD machine.

I have a user called 'test'. Under '/etc/passwd' file, I have set the login shell for that user to '/usr/local/bin/bash'

However when I am doing, 'su - test', I am being taken to 'C Shell' (csh).

The reason seems to be that enviromental variable "SHELL" for the test user is set to "C Shell",

How can I permanently change the "SHELL" variable and set it to "BASH" shell.

add /usr/local/bin/bash to the /etc/shells file.

paragkalra · 04-16-2009, 02:40 AM

Thanks reddazz...your solution worked like a charm...also thanks to rest of the guys for sharing your opinions...