Bug 495192

Summary: RHEL5: login command does not allow for switching users
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Reporter: Karel Zak <kzak>
Component: util-linuxAssignee: Karel Zak <kzak>
Status: CLOSED ERRATA QA Contact: Martin Cermak <mcermak>
Severity: low Docs Contact:
Priority: low    
Version: 5.0CC: azelinka, mcermak, rvokal
Target Milestone: rc   
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: 489031 Environment:
Last Closed: 2011-01-13 23:44:56 UTC Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:
Bug Depends On: 489031    
Bug Blocks:    

Description Karel Zak 2009-04-10 08:22:28 UTC 
+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #489031 +++

Description of problem: The manpage for the login command states:

"login is used when signing onto a system.  It can also be used to switch from one user to another at any time (most modern shells have support for this feature built into them, however)."

However it appears that switching-users with login does not work properly.  The issue seems to vary from not accepting keyboard input when run in an ssh session, to immediately returning to the prompt when run as a regular user, to failing with 'Login Incorrect' when trying to log in as root.  It only seems to work sometimes when logged in locally, running as root, and logging in as a regular user.   

Since the shells have built in support for switching users with su can we maybe remove the note in the manpage about being able to switch users?  Some customers of ours have been disappointed when the functionality did not match what was documented.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): util-linux-2.12a-20.el4

--- Additional comment from kzak on 2009-03-09 04:48:57 EDT ---

You're right. The comment in the man page is nonsense. login(1) is not usable for users switching at all (see BUGS section in the same man page).

Thanks. Fixed in upstream code.
Comment 5 Martin Cermak 2010-11-29 15:07:11 UTC 
Comment #4 => VERIFIED
Comment 7 errata-xmlrpc 2011-01-13 23:44:56 UTC 
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem
described in this bug report. This report is therefore being
closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information
on therefore solution and/or where to find the updated files,
please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report
if the solution does not work for you.

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2011-0085.html