


      SU(1)                       (UNIX 5.0)                      SU(1)



      NAME
           su - become super-user or another user

      SYNTAX
           su [ - ] [ name [ arg ... ] ]

      DESCRIPTION
           Su allows you to become another user without logging off.
           The default user name is root (i.e., super-user).

           To use su, the appropriate password must be supplied (unless
           one is already super-user).  If the password is correct, su
           will execute a new shell with the user ID set to that of the
           specified user.  To restore normal user ID privileges, type
           an EOF to the new shell.

           Any additional arguments are passed to the shell, permitting
           the super-user to run shell procedures with restricted
           privileges (an arg of the form -c string executes string via
           the shell).  When additional arguments are passed, /bin/sh
           is always used.  When no additional arguments are passed, su
           uses the shell specified in the password file.

           An initial - flag causes the environment to be changed to
           the one that would be expected if the user actually logged
           in again.  This is done by invoking the shell with an arg0
           of -su causing the .profile in the home directory of the new
           user ID to be executed.  Otherwise, the environment is
           passed along with the possible exception of $PATH, which is
           set to /bin:/etc:/usr/bin for root.  Note that the .profile
           can check arg0 for -sh or -su to determine how it was
           invoked.

      FILES
           /etc/passwd         system's password file
           $HOME/.profile      user's profile

      SEE ALSO
           env(1), login(1), sh(1), environ(5).

      NOTES
           When one does an su, the current directory is not searched.
           This protects the su'ed user from randomly executing
           programs in user directories that may have the same name as
           common system utilities.










      Page 1                                          (73 A2 02MT REV1)



