root terminal has different bash config when I ssh in vs su from another ssh account

stardotstar · 07-01-2010, 04:43 AM

Hi all,

Recently I created a new user on my CentOS cPanel host that could log into the system via ssh and removed the ability for root to ssh in.

Now I ssh in as the user account and then su to gain root when necessary...

Now I find that I am getting a different bash profile or environment when I su to root than when I was ssh'ing in directly...

Does that sound right?

I basically think that there must be a different bash_profile or some other relationship that is dictating a different environment when it do it each way.

Can I get some assistance on this please?

I noticed it because when I used to ssh in to the host as root I would be able to do an ifconfig for example straight from the prompt - ie the /sbin path was in the $PATH
Now I have to call the command by /sbin/ifconfig

etc.

I thought I might be getting the PATH from the original user:

Code:

root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# echo $PATH
/usr/local/jdk/bin:/usr/local/jdk/bin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/lib/courier-imap/bin:/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/home/stardotstar/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin
root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]#

and I know this will look stupid to someone who knows how futile what I am trying to do this way is but I have tried things like:

Code:

root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# . /root/.bash_profile 
root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# ifconfig
bash: ifconfig: command not found

root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# . /root/.bashrc 
root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# ifconfig
bash: ifconfig: command not found

Can someone set me straight on this please?

TIA
\\'

rsciw · 07-01-2010, 05:06 AM

I assume with
. /root/.bashrc you're trying to load that one?

do

# source /root/.bashrc

in general the CentOS default setup of bash is weird imo (being used to Debian, which has a lot more set up), including the paths.

But yes, edit /root/.bashrc and run source /root/.bashrc.
This file however should be read automatically when switching to root, if bash is set for root as shell.

Which shell is set for root according to
/etc/passwd?

unSpawn · 07-01-2010, 05:15 AM

When Bash is used as default shell, invoked as "/bin/bash" and starting an interactive login shell, /etc/profile is read before searching for any ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bash_login and ~/.profile in that order. See 'man bash', the "invocation" part. See the pathmunge() function in /etc/profile for path element order. Since ~/.bash_profile is read it you can also export a PATH from there. Finally note the difference between running '/bin/su -l root' and '/bin/su root'. The first invocation (with "-", "-l" or "--login" and without "-c") makes the shell an interactive login shell, the second does not. What this does for your PATH you can see by running 'echo $PATH' when trying both commands.

stardotstar · 07-01-2010, 05:30 AM

WOW, awesome responses guys - thank you both.

root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash

so yes /bin/bash is the shell

and the obvious mistake I thought was using the '.' instead of 'source' but that still didn't cut it/

Code:

root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# source /root/.bashrc 
root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# ifconfig
bash: ifconfig: command not found
root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# source /root/.bash_profile 
root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# ifconfig
bash: ifconfig: command not found

I was invoking using a plain 'su'

but when I try the unSpawn approach I have these results

Code:

root@jupiter [/home/stardotstar]# exit
exit
stardotstar@jupiter [~]# su -l root
Password: 
root@jupiter [~]# echo $PATH
/usr/local/jdk/bin:/usr/kerberos/sbin:/usr/kerberos/bin:/usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin:/usr/lib/courier-imap/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin:/root/bin

and of course all is well.
Now I just have to fully grok the goodness in that marvelous paragraph of unSpawn.

Thank you very much.
Will

onebuck · 07-01-2010, 06:24 PM

Hi,

You could setup a .bashrc & .bash_profile for your users (include root). If you source the '~/.bashrc' via the '~/.bash_profile' then no problems will occur.

My examples;

Code:

 #sample .bash_profile;
 ~$ cat .bash_profile
 # .bash_profile
 #08-30-06 12:21
 #
 # Source .bashrc
 if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
         . ~/.bashrc
 fi

Code:

sample .bashrc;
 :~$ cat .bashrc
 
 #.bashrc
 #08-30-06 12:20 
 
 # Add bin to path
 
 export PATH="$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin:$HOME/bin"
 
 #export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/bin"
 
 # Dynamic resizing
 shopt -s checkwinsize
 
 # Custom prompt
 #PS1='\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '
 
 #08-29-06 11:40
 
 if [ `id -un` = root ]; then
    PS1='\[\033[1;31m\]\h:\w\$\[\033[0m\] '
  else
    PS1='\[\033[1;32m\]\h:\w\$\[\033[0m\] '
 fi
 
 #
 # Add color
 eval `dircolors -b`
 
 # User defined aliases
 alias cls='clear'
 alias clls='clear; ls'
 alias ll='ls -l'
 alias lsa='ls -A'
 alias lsg='ls | grep'
 alias lsp='ls -1 /var/log/packages/ > package-list'
 alias na='nano'
 alias web='links -g -download-dir ~/ www.google.com'
 
 #08-29-06 11:50
 
 #To clean up and cover your tracks once you log off
 #Depending on your version of BASH, you might have to use
 # the other form of this command
    trap "rm -f ~$LOGNAME/.bash_history" 0
 
 #The older KSH-style form
 #   trap 0 rm -f ~$LOGNAME/.bash_history

The .bashrc is very useful!