[comp.bugs.sys5] whoami

fvd@laidbak.i88.isc.com (Falgun V. Dave) (08/30/89)

Problem found with "whoami" command for SYS V.

When the login id is 8 characters long and if 
that person does "whoami" - nothing is responded 
and "whoami" slintly returns the prompt.

If login id is less than 8 characters than there 
is no problem.

Has anybody encountered this problem ?
What is the possible solution ?

les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell) (08/31/89)

In article <1989Aug30.023006.25440@i88.isc.com> fvd@i88.isc.com (Falgun V. Dave) writes:
>Problem found with "whoami" command for SYS V.

>When the login id is 8 characters long and if 
>that person does "whoami" - nothing is responded 
>and "whoami" slintly returns the prompt.

>If login id is less than 8 characters than there 
>is no problem.

>Has anybody encountered this problem ?
>What is the possible solution ?

I assume you mean "who am i" - my SysV machines don't have whoami.  This
has been the case for at least SysVr2.0 ->3.2.  I reported it a long time
ago.  One possible workaround (the one I used..) is to use the environment
variable LOGNAME instead, although that is less secure.  Or just make all
your login id's less than 8 characters long.
A related problem with the longer names is that mail to names which match
the 1st 8 characters of a login name is accepted and stored even though
the name differs past the 8th character.  For example, if you have
"longname" as a login id, mail to "longname5" will land in /usr/mail/longname5
instead of being rejected.

Les Mikesell

yearke@planck.uucp (Dave Yearke) (09/04/89)

In article <1989Aug30.023006.25440@i88.isc.com> fvd@i88.isc.com (Falgun V. Dave) writes:
>Problem found with "whoami" command for SYS V.
>
>When the login id is 8 characters long and if 
>that person does "whoami" - nothing is responded 
>and "whoami" slintly returns the prompt.
>
>If login id is less than 8 characters than there 
>is no problem.
>
>Has anybody encountered this problem ?
>What is the possible solution ?

If you have an AT&T computer, you can get a fix by calling the hotline.  The
fix for this bug is included with a much more important bug fix for the
"passwd" program.  I would contact your vendor if you don't have AT&T
equipment.

-- 
                Dave Yearke, Calspan Advanced Technology Center
                         ...!sunybcs!planck!yearke