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Shell Scripting Discussion Thread
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Nov 23rd, 2004

How to su properly in a shell script

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Hello,

I have written a script to automate a software install. I am running the script as root, but need to su to another user to configure and complile the program properly. Whenever I do the shell script su's to the user properly but the scripts stops executing until I exit out of the new shell that su put me into. The following is an example of my script.

echo -e "\033[1m \n\t Installing courier-imap... \033[0m"
sleep 2
cd /var/src
tar -xjf tar/courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207.tar.bz2
cd courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207

# build as vpopmail
chown -R vpopmail:vchkpw ../courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207
su - vpopmail

./configure --with-redhat

I have also tried using the following to stay in the same shell and preserve the environment:
su - -m -p vpopmail

Does anyone have any thought as to how I can successfully SU and keep the script running?

Thanks,

Stephen

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stharmon

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Dec 2nd, 2004

Re: How to su properly in a shell script

Ever thought about sudo?

It will allow you to execute single commands as a user without having to drop into the shell of that user. You could even run sudo, and point it to another shell script that contains all of the commands you need it to run, so you could make that script stay somewhat compact.

alc6379

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Cookie... That's it

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Apr 22nd, 2009

Re: How to su properly in a shell script

Click to Expand / Collapse Quote originally posted by alc6379 ...

Ever thought about sudo?

It will allow you to execute single commands as a user without having to drop into the shell of that user. You could even run sudo, and point it to another shell script that contains all of the commands you need it to run, so you could make that script stay somewhat compact.

Use -t option in ssh

akku12345

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Apr 22nd, 2009

Re: How to su properly in a shell script

Click to Expand / Collapse Quote originally posted by stharmon ...

(Toggle Plain Text)
echo -e "\033[1m \n\t Installing courier-imap... \033[0m"
sleep 2
cd /var/src
tar -xjf tar/courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207.tar.bz2
cd courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207

# build as vpopmail
chown -R vpopmail:vchkpw ../courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207
su - vpopmail

./configure --with-redhat
echo -e "\033[1m \n\t Installing courier-imap... \033[0m" sleep 2 cd /var/src tar -xjf tar/courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207.tar.bz2 cd courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207 # build as vpopmail chown -R vpopmail:vchkpw ../courier-imap-2.2.2.20040207 su - vpopmail ./configure --with-redhat
... Does anyone have any thought as to how I can successfully SU and keep the script running?

To actually answer your query, you need to feed the commands you want to execute to su(), as in:

Shell Scripting Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)

su -c "./configure --with-redhat" - vpopmail

You can execute the commands one at a time, or you can put them in another shell script and have su() execute that shell script.

Fest3er

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Sep 14th, 2010

Re: How to su properly in a shell script

Is it possible for me to su to different user from within a script, execute few commands in the new shell and stay in the same shell...?

For Ex:

#!/bin/sh
sudo su - user1
echo #HOME
echo `ls -ltr`

This should print the home directory of user1, print the files there and stay in the same shell.

But the script doesn't execute after su to user1.

sudo su - c "echo $HOME" - user1

works but it exits from new shell immediately after printing $HOME value.

komalar

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Nov 26th, 2010

Re: How to su properly in a shell script

I am executing the following script like "sudo ./script.sh", so that no authorization is needed when temporarily switching to user "test". The HERE tags delimit the execution in the test user context

Shell Scripting Syntax (Toggle Plain Text)
#!/bin/sh
echo ~/
su - test <<HERE
echo ~/
ls -al
HERE
echo ~/
#!/bin/sh
echo ~/
su - test <<HERE
echo ~/
ls -al
HERE
echo ~/

:-)

/Peter Odéus

Peter Odéus

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Nov 28th, 2010

Re: How to su properly in a shell script

hi i need automated routines in bash shell.. i do know how i m start, if you know pls send it to me....

rehm

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Nov 28th, 2010

Re: How to su properly in a shell script

hi i need automated routines in bash shell.. i don't know how i m start, if you know pls send it to me....

rehm

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