Execute command as another user in bash script

By neokrates, written on May 4, 2010

bash snippet

neokrates
Email: uwarov@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.thinkplexx.com
Join date: 05-31-09
Posts: 20

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su can execute commands under other user without interaction.

Example:

Run whoami;ls -all as $ANOTHER_USER:

su $ANOTHER_USER -l -c "whoami;ls -all"

Remark: Sometimes execution fails due the different environment. In my case, I want the same environment as I had if I changed user interactively: -l.

Here is general su help:

me@my-host:~/ # su --help
Usage: su [options] [LOGIN]
 
Options:
  -c, --command COMMAND pass COMMAND to the invoked shell
  -h, --help display this help message and exit
  -, -l, --login make the shell a login shell
  -m, -p,
  --preserve-environment do not reset environment variables, and
                                keep the same shell
  -s, --shell SHELL use SHELL instead of the default in passwd