[Bug 984390] Re: $PATH is taken from login.defs not /etc/environment

[Michael Vogt]

** Also affects: shadow (Ubuntu Xenial)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Also affects: shadow (Ubuntu Bionic)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Changed in: shadow (Ubuntu Precise)
       Status: Triaged => Won't Fix

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Title:
  $PATH is taken from login.defs not /etc/environment

Status in shadow package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in shadow source package in Precise:
  Won't Fix
Status in shadow source package in Xenial:
  New
Status in shadow source package in Bionic:
  New

Bug description:
  $PATH isn't sourced from /etc/environment, instead the version in
  /etc/login.defs is used.  (The example below comes from a precise install.)

  | james at panlong:~$ echo $PATH
  | /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games
  | james at panlong:~$ sudo su - buildd
  | buildd at panlong:~$ echo $PATH
  | /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games
  | buildd at panlong:~$ cat /etc/environment
  | PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games"
  | buildd at panlong:~$ grep PATH /etc/login.defs
  | # Three items must be defined:  MAIL_DIR, ENV_SUPATH, and ENV_PATH.
  | # *REQUIRED*  The default PATH settings, for superuser and normal users.
  | ENV_SUPATH      PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
  | ENV_PATH        PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games
  | #CRACKLIB_DICTPATH
  | buildd at panlong:~$ sudo sed -i -e "s#^ENV_PATH.*#ENV_PATH        PATH=/wtf:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games#" /etc/login.defs
  | buildd at panlong:~$ logout
  | james at panlong:~$ sudo su - buildd
  | buildd at panlong:~$ echo $PATH
  | /wtf:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games
  | buildd at panlong:~$

  REGRESSION POTENTIAL:
  - medium: it changes (incorrect) existing behaviour so https://xkcd.com/1172/ may apply

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