[techtalk] Paths (formerly: upgrading to Netscape 4.7) (fwd)

[Beverly Guillermo]

It's just as to write './' in front of every command.  I
think it helps me remember that having the current directory
in the path isn't always true for most unix/linux environments.
=)

Beverly

On Wed, 13 Oct 1999 jenn at simegen.com wrote:

<snip>
> The root shell DOES NOT include "./". Very deliberately.
> 
> Why?
> 
> Because you /don't/ want to be in some smart-aleck user's directory,
> run 'cd' or some other innocuous process, and have a program run that 
> sets - say  - resets root's password to something the user knows then
> runs cd with your argument.
> 
> Which hasn't happened to me - but is just something I thought of off 
> the top of my head. :)
> 
> So if you're root, you have to /explicitly/ say 'yes I really want
> to run this program that happens to be in this directory'.
> 
> Other users are presumed to not control anything vital, and to be 
> unlikely to be hanging around in someone else's directories. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------
Beverly Guillermo                                   [[mezanin]]
bguill at home.com                 http://members.home.com/bguill/
bguill1 at umbc.edu                                  ICQ: 18004037




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