Re: [HEADSUP] making /bin/sh the default shell for root

On Tue, 12 Oct 2021 06:59:00 -0400
grarpamp <grarpamp@gmail.com> wrote:

> > No. The system shell is supposed to make the system usable
> > by the users. Actually, the real problem is that the easiest way
> > to shoot one's own foot is by changing the language (say, the
> > shell) spoken by default by FreeBSD.  
> 
> Well, the FreeBSD system speaks sh for its own use, this is clearly
> documented as the shell called by init(8), and later by rc(8),
> it should probably be the root:0 entry at least for consistancy.
> No other shell is called by the FreeBSD system there.
> Whatever the users want for their own shells is really up
> to them to decide after that.
> 
> "Default" is bit of low context word, as there is no falling
> back to some shell occuring, no filling in for some missing
> option, etc. Maybe use word "shipped" or "root" instead.
> 
> Everyone said they already do, and will continue to,
> exec whatever shell they like, whether after login,
> or by changing the entry. So in addition to the user
> being ultimately responsible for their own box and usage,
> this well announced entry for UPDATING cannot therein
> really be responsible for any user self-shooting.
> 
> > This is non-sense.  
> 
> Well, FreeBSD does not add every shell in base,
> does not add every app to base, etc.
> Some reasons for those limits should be obvious.
> This update gives further distilling clarity by
> limiting the number of shipped uid 0 entries to 1,
> with that 1 being sh.
> 
> > Every unix user should know that it's
> > possible to changing the used shell by using
> > chsh and this includes root.  
> 
> Then for every user, this update is not a problem.
> 

I've been using UNIX both privately and professionally since 1984
and I must admit that I never heard of chsh before seeing this
e-mail.  I simply use vipw; it's the logical way to do this sort
of thing IMHO.  But I suppose that this is the way to go for users
who don't have root access (which I always have).

> > BTW, toor default to sh, not tcsh.  
> 
> No one said that the toor entry does not use sh.
> 

-- 
Gary Jennejohn