bug#7572: [PATCH] PAM support for su

[Jim Meyering]

Ben Walton wrote:
> Excerpts from Jim Meyering's message of Thu Jun 09 10:03:20 -0400 2011:
>> > Does that mean you intend to drop su from coreutils? If so is there
>>
>> I would have dropped it long ago but for some distributions
>> for which the switch to e.g., util-linux was not an option.
>
> I would miss this greatly in the OpenCSW coreutils package for
> Solaris.  The su in coreutils is much nicer than the native one. :)
> I'd understand if you dropped it, but I'll voice my preference
> regardless.

I don't plan to remove it.
The compromise I settled on 3.5 years ago was to do this:

    * Noteworthy changes in release 6.9.90 (2007-12-01) [beta]
    ...
    ** Programs no longer installed by default

      hostname, su

    ...
    ** New build options

      By default, "make install" no longer attempts to install (or even build) 
su.
      To change that, use ./configure --enable-install-program=su.
      If you also want to install the new "arch" program, do this:
      ./configure --enable-install-program=arch,su.

      You can inhibit the compilation and installation of selected programs
      at configure time.  For example, to avoid installing "hostname" and
      "uptime", use ./configure --enable-no-install-program=hostname,uptime
      Note: currently, "make check" passes, even when arch and su are not
      built (that's the new default).  However, if you inhibit the building
      and installation of other programs, don't be surprised if some parts
      of "make check" fail.