Re: Sysinst default root login shell

[Jeff Rizzo <riz%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

On 4/9/12 4:02 AM, Alan Barrett wrote:
> On Mon, 09 Apr 2012, Andreas Gustafsson wrote:
>>> If anita relies on having a specific shell for root user, why not just
>>> invoke /bin/sh explicitly, rather than relying on sysinst behavior?
>> The current sysinst behavior is a bug, and I would like the bug to be
>> fixed rather than changing the test to ignore it.
>
> I agree that there's a problem in sysinst, but I don't agree about
> what the problem is.


This.

>
> The underlying system default is that root's shell is /bin/csh, as
> encoded in src/etc/master.passwd.
>
> Until recently, sysinst encouraged you to change the shell to /bin/sh
> (if you just accepted the default answers in relevant menus).  I think
> that it was a bad idea, or a bug, to have sysinst encourage something
> other than the underlying default.
>
> Currently, sysinst doesn't present the "Root shell" menu by default,
> so if you don't deliberately go into the Root shell menu, then you get
> /bin/csh, the underlying system default.  However, if you do go into
> that menu, then sysinst encourages you to change to /bin/sh (if you
> accept the default answer in the menu).
>
> I think that the default answer in the "Root shell" menu should be
> taken from whatever is in /etc/master.passwd at the time the menu
> appears, instead of always being /bin/sh.  For example, instead of
>
>      Root shell     >a: /bin/sh      b: /bin/ksh
>      c: /bin/csh
>
> (with the cursor on "a: /bin/sh"), use getpwname or equivalent to look
> in master.passwd and adjust the cursor position accordingly,
> displaying this if root's shell is csh:
>
>      Root shell      a: /bin/sh      b: /bin/ksh
>     >c: /bin/csh
>
> (with the cursor on "c: /bin/csh").

This is a good idea.  I'll try to code it up this afternoon.

>
> Then I think "anita install" should deliberately go into that menu and
> choose /bin/sh, or "anita test" should be adapted to work under any
> shell (possibly by launching /bin/sh immediately after login).
>
> --apb (Alan Barrett)

I agree with gson that the default is the important case to test. 

In my opinion, it's time to change master.passwd.  /bin/csh is just no
fun to work with as a default.  We did an end run around the problem
with sysinst before, but that is now in conflict with a desire to have
the ability to configure more stuff without imposing a huge series of
questions upon the user.

Awaiting consensus,
+j