<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
type="guide"
id="pref-login-shell">
<info>
<revision pkgversion="3.8" date="2013-03-03" status="review"/>
<revision pkgversion="3.14" date="2014-09-08" status="review"/>
<link type="guide" xref="index#preferences"/>
<link type="guide" xref="pref#profile"/>
<credit type="author copyright">
<name>Sindhu S</name>
<email>sindhus@live.in</email>
<years>2013</years>
</credit>
<credit type="copyright editor">
<name>Ekaterina Gerasimova</name>
<email>kittykat3756@gmail.com</email>
<years>2013-2014</years>
</credit>
<credit type="copyright editor">
<name>Michael Hill</name>
<email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>
<years>2013</years>
</credit>
<include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
<desc>Start a login shell in <app>Terminal</app>.</desc>
</info>
<title>Login shells</title>
<p>Shells in UNIX based systems can be started up in login and non-login
modes:</p>
<terms>
<item>
<title>Login shell</title>
<p>A login shell is a shell given to a user upon login into their user
account. This is initiated by using the <cmd>-l</cmd> or
<cmd>--login</cmd> option, or placing a dash as the initial character
of the command name, for example invoking <cmd>bash</cmd> as
<cmd>-bash</cmd>.</p>
</item>
<item>
<title>Sub shell</title>
<p>Sub shell, also called a non-login shell is a shell started after
the login process without the <cmd>-l</cmd> or <cmd>--login</cmd>
option and without an extra dash before the command name.</p>
</item>
</terms>
<p>The general cases for having a login shell include:</p>
<list>
<item>
<p>Accessing your computer remotely using <app>ssh</app>.</p>
</item>
<item>
<p>Simulating an initial login shell with <cmd>bash -l</cmd> or
<cmd>sh -l</cmd>.</p>
</item>
<item>
<p>Simulating an initial root login shell with <cmd>sudo -i</cmd>.</p>
</item>
</list>
<section id="login-shell-howto">
<title>Start a login shell</title>
<p>You can allow <app>Terminal</app> to start a login shell. Your default
shell will be started with a dash character prepended to its name.</p>
<steps>
<item>
<p>Open <guiseq><gui style="menu">Edit</gui>
<gui style="menuitem">Preferences</gui></guiseq>.</p>
</item>
<item>
<p>Your current profile is selected in the sidebar. If you wish to edit
a different profile, click on its name.</p>
</item>
<item>
<p>Select <gui style="tab">Command</gui>.</p>
</item>
<item>
<comment>
<cite href="mailto:kittykat3756@gmail.com">Kat</cite>
<p>TODO: test when this takes effect.</p>
</comment>
<p>Under the <gui>Command</gui> label, select
<gui style="checkbox">Run command as a login shell</gui>.</p>
</item>
</steps>
</section>
</page>