CNS home 
News
Services
|
|
CNS home
News
Services
|
Section 1: Description and usage
Group shell is a front-end shell (command interpreter) intended for use by a shared account. This account requires a group entry in the system of valid userids which are allowed to use this shared account. Each of these users must know the password for the shared account, in addition to their own password for their individual accounts.
To log in to the shared group account, a member does two things. First, he/she logs in using the username and password of the group account. Group shell then requires this user to type in his/her own username and password. This ensures this individual is authorized to use this shared account, authenticates this user, and provides an audit trail to identify the individual using the shared account at any given time.
Once a user is successfully authenticated, groupsh executes whatever shell the individual user normally uses (e.g. tcsh, csh, bash and so forth). In addition, groupsh sets the environmental variable $REALNAME to the individual's personal userid. This allows each user to customize his/her environment if he/she chooses to do so.
Section 2: Summary notes
Please note that every login to the group account is recorded by the system. This provides accountability in the event that the shared account is abused or mishandled. Use common sense when operating the shared account, keeping in mind that this account is shared with everyone else in the group. Your actions may impact others. Be aware that there is nothing to prevent two group members from using the shared account simultaneously and interfering with each other.
Further information, notes, suggestions, and examples are available in the full user-level documentation for group shell. Please read this before directing any questions to your administrators.
