When a user logs into a RedHat4 system and executes "whoami" their user name shows correctly. When they su - and execute "whoami" arbitrary users each with root level access definied in /etc/passwd are shown such as admst. This system is one of 30 running on vmware. the other servers work as they should ie su -, enter password, whoami shows root

I am looking for info on the process of su -. Like how it works. I've dug in the web until I'm blind.

note already I know all about the hazards of root access and the story of why is to long to tell. I did not build, buy, or break this system or it's trash of an application.

thanks for any help.

What do you mean "with root level access" in /etc/passwd? Do you mean that you've set the UID of these users to 0 so they'd be the same as root?

If so the issue may be the order it is finding the users in /etc/passwd. Is admst one of the UID 0 entries? Is it the first one in /etc/passwd? Is it the last one in /etc/passwd?

FYI: RedHat end of lifed RHEL4 in February of this year. You might want to campaign for move to a newer OS.

RedHat can end of life all it wants, the application vendors don't care so I'm stuck with what I got.

The order in the passwd file doesnot seem to amtter. Yes the UID in passwd was set to give root access. I know it is not logical but I did not right the crappy DB application.

There is more than one user with uid 0 in /etc/passwd?

I am sorry if I am speaking out of turn here, but why not use sudo to give your users root level access to just the things they need and not manually edit the passwd file? Multiple users with the same UID is a recipe for trouble.

Nope. It is the OP that is out of order which is why I didn't bother to reply to him after my first attempt to help. Asking for help then showing an attitude to the only person that responded is a good way to get ignored.