Re: [cobalt-users] Deleting username.lock files

["Steven Werby" <steven-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<WayneB6094@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> In a message dated 8/25/00 12:37:04 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
> steven-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> > Are the files owned by root?  If so you'll need to do "su -" to become root
> > and
> >  enter the admin password at the prompt.
>
> Okay, I have to ask -- why the "-" after "su"?  I've always just typed "su"
> without the dash, and it works just fine.  What's the difference?

su - makes the shell a login shell which causes it to load .profile from the
user's home directory.  I believe by default that file contains "cat
/etc/admin.motd" which will display the root user notice after you login.  I
also put a number of things in my .profile like alias lines, export lines, etc.
which are loaded automatically when I do "su -", but aren't when I do "su".

--
Steven Werby {steven-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxx}