SUMMARY: bin/sh vs. /sbin/sh

From: Gene Loriot (epl@kodak.com)
Date: Thu Nov 17 1994 - 23:51:39 CST


Thanks for such fast and insightfull answer; you are a wonderful group of people

Original Question: What is the difference between /bin/sh and /sbin/sh

Answer: The /sbin directory contains statically linked executables. These
        programs are able to be executed without any system library references.
        Since the libraries are usually in the /usr partition, a root user
        running maintenance would be shell-less since often /usr is not mounted.

        This "static" inclusion of all library calls explains the reason for the
        executable being so much larger.

Other Notes:

        1. THERE IS NO /sbin/csh THUS DO NOT CHANGE YOUR /etc/passwd FILE
                TO REFLECT THIS SHELL!!!

        2. The /bin directory is also really a part of the /usr partition.
                /bin is a soft link to /usr/bin

        3. The ldd command will display what dynamic dependencies an
                executable requires.

        4. The file command lists if an executable is statically or dynamically
                linked.

Number of Respondants: 39 as of this mailing

Respondants:
        From: szh@zcon.com (Syed Zaeem Hosain)
        From: Neil Rickert <rickert@cs.niu.edu>
        From: rwing!pat@ole.cdac.com (Pat Myrto)
        From: Casper Dik <casper@fwi.uva.l>
        From: kurt.kaiser@amail.amdahl.com
        From: Badri.Pillai@ecrc.de (Badri Pillai)
        From: Matthias Pfuetzner <pfuetz@igd.fhg.de>
        From: Kenneth.Erickson@Eng.Sun.COM (Ken Erickson)
        From: Kai Grossjohann <grossjoh@linus.informatik.uni-dortmund.de>
        From: brb@ike.safb.af.mil (SrA Bruce R Baier)
        From: dal@gcm.com (Dan Lorenzini)
        From: pburyk@leis.leis.bellcore.com (Patrick Buryk)
        From: odt@lci.com (Dan Transue)
        From: Birger.Wathne@vest.sdata.no (Birger A. Wathne)
        From: Wolfgang Bauer <bauerw@transtec.de>
        From: white@erim.org (Brian White)
        From: Tom Orban <orban@advtech.uswest.com>
        From: steve@cegelecproj.co.uk (Steve_Kilbane)
        From: Dave Hightower <hightowr@afwc.af.mil>
        From: john@oncology.uthscsa.edu (John Justin Hough)
        From: etnibsd!vsh@uunet.uu.net (Steve Harris)
        From: Nate Itkin <Nate-Itkin@ptdcs2.intel.com>
        From: vitec!jsutton@uu.psi.com (John Sutton)
        From: Pierre.Martini@diva.fr (Pierre Martini)
        From: Jeff Blaine <jblaine@ciesin.org>
        From: George Pallas <gpallas@freenet.columbus.oh.us>
        From: ivan@Krynn.nwac.sea06.navy.mil (John Stelling)
        From: mike@trdlnk.com (Michael Sullivan)
        From: John DiMarco <jdd@db.toronto.edu>
        From: Ric Anderson <ric@Artisoft.COM>
        From: "David C. Woodruff" <dcw@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
        From: Rj Nichols <nicholr@titanium.sps.mot.com>
        From: Graeme Robertson <graemer@unisys.co.nz>
        From: annr@ref.collins.co.uk (Ann Rautenbach 3267 Systems_Administrator)
        From: Gavin Maltby <gavin@DURBAN.VECTOR.CO.ZA>
        From: iqbalz@cnt.gs.com (Zia Iqbal )
        From: Pell Emanuelsson <pell@lysator.liu.se>
        From: Torsten Metzner <tom@uni-paderborn.de>
        From: smckinty@France.Sun.COM

-- 
####    ######  Gene Loriot                  E-mail:  epl@Kodak.COM
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