[cobalt-users] Re: [RAQ3] Site Admin Dropping straight to /web

[Bruce Timberlake <Bruce.Timberlake@xxxxxxx>]

> Login to your server and su

'su -' is recommended to ensure that your environment is set up properly as root

> Then simply edit using whichever text editor you like the /etc/passwd file
> (pico /etc/passwd)

Use 'vipw' - it's meant for this (and 'vigr' for /etc/groups). pico truncates/wraps long lines which can
cause havoc, especially in /etc/groups for the admin user. Just type vipw (or vigr) -- don't need to
specify the filename...

Also remember to 'cp /etc/passwd /etc/passwd-' when done to ensure the shadow password file is kept
current with your manual changes.

> Find the username of the user in the passwd file, and simply change his
> /home dir to whatever. Then when he logs in via telnet/FTP he will be
> taken directly to the www.domain.com's web folder

VERY DANGEROUS!  When a user is deleted, his/her whole home directory is deleted as well.
If a user's home directory is set to the domain's web root, the whole site then goes away
if that user ever gets deleted.

If the user won't ever be deleted, then you could get away with it I suppose...

(I don't own or have access to Frontpage, but isn't there a place (like in most FTP clients) where
the default home directory can be set?  Just put '/web' in there, like you would in CuteFTP etc,
and it will put you in the right directory when you connect...)

--
Bruce Timberlake
Technology Engineer
Sun Microsystems, Inc.