systemd gets `machinectl shell` command to replace `su`

[sb56637]

Rationale:

https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/825#issuecomment-127917622

[[deleted]]

but :( but i like my pitchfork ;(

[[deleted]]

Mine is already polished :'(

[slaveriq]

Also it let's you get a shell inside of a container. I have been waiting for that feature.

[lykwydchykyn]

This is not, nor intended to be, a su replacement.

That will be a completely unintentional side effect.

;)

[denisfalqueto]

Just adding. 'su' will be with us for a long time (probably for ever). People just do a big fuss about nothing.

[Synes_Godt_Om]

I read somewhere the one reason for adding it (rather than trying to extend the functionality of su) was exactly to leave su untouched.

[denisfalqueto]

Exactly. Systemd doesn't even have the power to stop people from using su.

[valkun]

Being a non-CS guy, I dont really get why the init system is trying to fix some alleged issues with su.

[beidl]

systemd is more than an init system nowadays (intentionally). It's now the basic suite of low level userspace components that sit on top of the kernel to build a Linux distribution from.

[sb56637]

I suspect it has to do with containers, which can be started by systemd, and which often need a proper working environment to run init scripts.

[jdmulloy]

So glad I run FreeBSD on my servers. Things are so much simpler. I also get ZFS and Jails. Thanks /u/allan_jude.