source: postlfs/config/etcshells.xml@ 0290a023

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE part PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.3//EN"
   "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.3/docbookx.dtd" [
  <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../../general.ent">
  %general-entities;
]>

<sect1 id="postlfs-config-shells" xreflabel="The /etc/shells File">
<sect1info>
<othername>$LastChangedBy$</othername>
<date>$Date$</date>
</sect1info>
<?dbhtml filename="etcshells.html"?>
<title>The /etc/shells File</title>
<indexterm zone="postlfs-config-shells">
<primary sortas="e-etc-shells">/etc/shells</primary>
</indexterm>

<para>The <filename>shells</filename> file contains a list of 
login shells on the system. Applications use this file to determine
whether a shell is valid. For each shell a single line should be
present, consisting of the shell's path, relative to root.</para>

<para>For example, this file is consulted by <command>chsh</command> to
determine whether a normal user may change the login shell for her
own account. If the command name is not listed, the user will be denied of
change.</para>

<para>It is a requirement for applications such as
<application><acronym>GDM</acronym></application> which does not populate the 
face browser if it can't find <filename>/etc/shells</filename> or 
<acronym>FTP</acronym> daemons which traditionally disallow access to users 
with shells not included in this file.</para>

<screen><userinput><command>cat &gt; /etc/shells &lt;&lt; "EOF"</command>
# Begin /etc/shells

/bin/sh
/bin/bash

# End /etc/shells
<command>EOF</command></userinput></screen>

</sect1>