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Message-Id: <200308151622.RAA01071@aps5.ph.bham.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2003 17:21:15 +0100 (BST)
From: "Dr.D.J.Picton" <dave AT aps5 DOT ph DOT bham DOT ac DOT uk>
Reply-To: "Dr.D.J.Picton" <dave AT aps5 DOT ph DOT bham DOT ac DOT uk>
Subject: Various shell problems
To: cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
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1.  I downloaded the new version of base-files (2.0-2) today.  I note that the
new config files now go into the /etc/defaults directory, which is a good
idea!  Although it does have one disadvantage - if there are problems in
the new files, many existing users won't see them.

Unfortunately, I did notice problems with /etc/profile:

   Firstly, it sets 
   stty erase ^?
   
   In my view the correct setting is definitely ^h (backspace).  Setting the
   erase character to ^? (delete) causes problems when 'normal' terminal
   i/o is used.  The delete key doesn't seem to work in a Windows command 
   window, and a resource (deleteIsDel) has to be set to make it work in an 
   xterm window. 
 
   Secondly, the section which checks whether the user's passwd entry has
   been set up uses nonstandard operators (==) which aren't supported by
   all sh-like shells.  This is what happens when profile is sourced by /bin/sh:
   [: ==: unknown operand
   I changed == to =, and now all is well.
   
2.  SHELL environment variable problem.
   For some reason, the bash shell tends to drop the SHELL variable from the
   environment, causing a variety of problems.   I fixed this with a new
   startup script (/etc/bash.bash_env) which issues 'export SHELL', and by    
   contriving  (via the BASH_ENV environment variable and .bashrc scripts) that  
   all bash shells will use the script.   

3. /bin/sh sources /etc/profile when called from ftp.exe

   If SHELL isn't exported or is set to /bin/sh, ftp.exe uses the /bin/sh
   shell for shell escapes.  Unfortunately the working directory of the shell
   is then always set to the user's home directory.  Now I know why - for some
   reason, /bin/sh thinks it's a login shell and sources the profile. This
   bug seems to be specific to ftp - I haven't seen it with sftp.
   
   


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