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Bug#3008: Telnetd sets wrong USER (funny side effects)



>>>>> "M" == Marek Michalkiewicz <marekm@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl> writes:

    M> We are POSIX, but we also use many BSD sources.  I agree they all
    M> should use LOGNAME instead, but until we are sure they all have been
    M> modified to use LOGNAME, I think it is wise to set both variables.
    M> Some of the various /etc/X11/... scripts also use USER, not LOGNAME.

Also, many scripts I have seen test first for one of the two, then for
the other. If I recall correctly, most of the time preference is given
to USER, and LOGNAME is used as a fallback (and more sophisticated
scripts do a getpw-style lookup as the last resort).

So my vote goes to make login set USER as well as LOGNAME - or at
least make sure that in the case that both are present, both contain
the same information. After all, people do install non-debian software
- either in /usr/local or in individual accounts. If we can avoid
breaking this software without messing up other parts of the debian
system, wouldn't that be the best for everybody?

			cheers,
				Lukas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Dr. Lukas Nellen                 | Email: lukas@teorica0.ifisicacu.unam.mx
   Depto. de Fisica Teorica, IFUNAM |
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