Re: Why does Debian use a nonstandard chsh?
Martin Schulze <joey@finlandia.Infodrom.North.DE> writes:
> Jor-el wrote:
> > I was reading the Documentation/Changes document in kernel 2.2.5
> > with an intent to verify whether my Slink installation was upto the proper
> > levels of software when I noticed a problem with the chsh utility. For the
> > 2.2 kernels, the util-linux packages should be at version 2.9i, and the
> > way to verify this is by executing the command 'chsh -v'.
> > 'chsh' on Debian doesnt have an option to display the version
> > number. When I looked at the source package ([wishlist] Could the source
> > package of shadow and the corresponding binary package of passwd atleast
> > get the same name?), I found that 'chsh' indeed only has a '-s' option on
> > Debian.
chsh is for changing your default shell - not for detecting what
version of util-linux is installed on your system.
> > Further investigation has revealed that the Debian package uses a
> > version of 'chsh' that has nothing to do with the "actual" 'chsh'
> > available at metalab. This is the one that everyone else uses. Why is
> > Debian different? Redhat, for instance uses this version, and yes, it dos
> > have a '-v' option to display the version.
> The version is from the shadow suite, like s/o else already told you.
> Please file wishlist bugs against the proper package asking for the
> features you're missing. If you can provide some time please work
> out a proper patch and append it.
But no maintainer in his right mind would add the "feature" that is
being requested. (He wants a "-v" option to be added to the "chsh"
program _and_ he wants this option to report the version of the
util-linux package.)
The problem here is broken kernel documentation and Jor-el is talking
to the wrong people about the problem.
(So the proper package would be "kernel-source".)
Steve
dunham@cse.msu.edu
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