ritzenth@bgsuvax.UUCP (Phil Ritzenthaler) (06/25/87)
Background:
1.) Gnu Emacs 18.47 running on a Vax 785 4.3BSD Unix
2.) There is a .emacs file in the root directory ( / )
Problem:
When 18.45 was released, in /lisp/Changelog, there was an entry:
Tue May 12 11:50:22 1987 Richard M. Stallman (rms at prep)
.
.
* startup.el (command-line): If running under `su',
use user's original login name to get init file.
Otherwise use $HOME.
Then for 18.47, another entry:
Wed Jun 10 21:10:01 1987 Richard M. Stallman (rms at prep)
* Version 18.47 released.
* startup.el (command-line): Old test for su failed.
Now assume su if (user-login-name) != (getenv "USER").
Our Emacs still searches only the $HOME environment (which is the root
directory) when we have su'ed. It never uses the user's original login name
(or even $USER) to get the init (.emacs) file. I kludged around this by
placing the entry:
(load "~$USER/.emacs")
in the root's .emacs file, but can you say B-O-M-B if the user doesn't have
an init file!!!???!!! There has to be a better way! Anyone seen an Emacs-Lisp
manual? Does one exist?
Any ideas, guesses, horse shoes, grenades available??
Phil Ritzenthaler |USnail:University Computer Services
| 241 Math-Science Bldg.
| Bowling Green State University
UUCP :.!cbosgd!osu-eddie!bgsuvax!ritzenth| Bowling Green, OH 43403-0125
CSNET: ritzenth@research1.bgsu.edu | Phone: (419) 372-2102