> for instance i start ircd like this:
> 
> if [ -f /usr/local/lib/ircd/ircd ]; then
> 	su irc -c /usr/local/lib/ircd/ircd; echo -n ' ircd'
> fi
> 
> (hopefully an acceptable way to do it)

I do the same thing; it didn't seem to like it when I made user 'irc' have 
a non-existant shell in /etc/passwd (I used /dev/null).  As an alternative 
to giving the user 'irc' a fully-working shell, I pointed its /etc/passwd 
shell entry to /usr/etc/smrsh (the Sendmail restricted shell--see sendmail 
package).  I then list a symlink to "ircd" in the smrsh bin directory.

-- 
Matthew B. Wood                                              mbwood@netcom.com

Homer: "If something is hard, it's not worth learning.  Now, let's go
         watch TV."
Bart: "What's on, Dad?"
Homer: "It doesn't matter...."