UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out the logic of my user shell and root shell
This might be best illustrated with an example.

If I log into the linux host I'm using and run the following:

Code:

-bash-3.2$ which python
/usr/local/bin/python

I now run sudo bash to become root and run the same command

Code:

bash-3.2# which python
/usr/bin/python

So roots path overrides the users path.

However, I thought that if I now run .bash_profile from the users directory:

Code:

bash-3.2# source .bash_profile

the users path would override the root path but apparently not as:

Code:

bash-3.2# id
uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root),1(bin),2(daemon),3(sys),4(adm),6(disk),10(wheel)

bash-3.2# which python
/usr/bin/python

it still returns python from the root directory shell.
Is there any way to override this?
I know I should probably be running commands as:
sudo <command> etc but I'm confused as to the logic employed and I haven't been able to clear it up with google searches.

Can anyone outline the logic?

You probably want to source /etc/profile, not /home/whatever/... but then it must've gotten sourced in the first place on login anyway.

Just being root doesn't make PATH behave differently as much as root gets a different PATH.

Code:

 # as root:
$ echo $PATH
/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/opt/bin:/usr/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/gcc-bin/4.1.2:/usr/qt/3/bin
# as user:
$ echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/opt/bin:/usr/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/gcc-bin/4.1.2:/usr/qt/3/bin:/usr/games/bin

Remember /etc/profile is a script, not dumb list, so may easily do different things depending on what user logs in. On my system there's a ROOTPATH variable in /etc/profile which is copied over PATH for the root user only.

I've been told what the problem is. Thought i'd let you know.


If I check my .bash_profile, the path is setup as follows

Code:

PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/bin/:/usr/bin/:/usr/bin/jdk1.5.0_10/bin:/usr/sbin:$HOME/bin

This means that when I sudo to root my path is appended to roots.
What I should have is

Code:

PATH=/usr/local/bin/:/usr/bin/:/usr/bin/jdk1.5.0_10/bin:/usr/sbin:$HOME/bin

Thanks for the help.