su -c issued twice hangs process

From: Hugh Pritchard <Hugh.Pritchard_at_MCI.Com>
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 10:48 -0400 (EDT)

In a proposed startup script there are two lines like
    su - oracle -c "command string"

The second one hangs. Experimenting, we've found that
    su - oracle -c "ps; exit"
doesn't hang after the second one.

I know the -c something gets passed to the new shell (in this case,
ksh) by su. I've also heard that this is a problem on HPUX machines.

Is this a known problem, with the workaround being to add the exit
to the command string?

If the exit command is ALWAYS needed in the command string, why does
the first su work and return?

Is this an su problem, or a ksh problem?

-- 
    Hugh    mailto: Hugh.Pritchard_at_MCI.com
    MCI Midrange Platform Support, Pentagon City
    703-414-6995

Received on Tue Sep 23 1997 - 17:09:36 NZST