[CentOS] strange su behavior

Mon Mar 8 20:22:10 UTC 2010
Don Krause <dkrause at optivus.com>

> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I have a strange su hehavior on a CentOS 5.4 32Bit installation in a
> VMware ESXi virtualizied environment:
> 
> If I am root and want to change the user to a non-root user, the system
> prompts me for a password:
> 
> 
> [root at halifax ~]# useradd test00
> [root at halifax ~]# su - test00
> 
> 
> We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
> Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:
> 
>    #1) Respect the privacy of others.
>    #2) Think before you type.
>    #3) With great power comes great responsibility.
> 
> Password:

The above warning comes from sudo. Figure out why you're running sudo and not su as you expect. Is it aliased?

--
Don Krause                                                                   
"This message represents the official view of the voices in my head."