[geeks] Some ancient history to get lost in...

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: Phil Stracchino <alaric at metrocast.net>
" 
" On 11/02/11 16:46, Mike Meredith wrote:
" > 
" > []
" > 
" > I'm pretty sure it's those stories of the problems of replacing
" > root's shell that explains why I never did that, although I always fire
" > up zsh. And why I always keep a spare root window open when doing
" > something ... that's saved me a number of times.

that's wisdom, that is.  a second open root window has saved my butt
many a time.

" The only root shell substitution I have ever made is /bin/bash for
" /bin/sh on Solaris, because bash will run everything sh will and I find
" it a lot more usable.  And I can spare the little bit of extra memory.

i'm more of a ksh partisan, having used it since ksh86 was new, but
i've never tried to change root's shell.  yes, ksh like bash runs
everything sh can, but -not-exactly- the same -way-.  there are a few
small differences in interpretation and/or parsing...  ksh docs used
to a couple of sh 'bugs' they'd 'corrected'.  my approach was to
either have root's .profile exec the shell i wanted, or make a
-second- root user - say kroot - with my shell of choice.

btw, on hpux as of 10, the root shell -is- ksh [ksh88 code base], with
posix compile-time switch thrown and installed as sh.  [do a 'set -o vi',
then esc-^V]
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought