Mistake in files-directories-commands about "~"

[Leo Iannacone]

Binary package hint: ubuntu-docs

In files-directories-commands you can read this note:

The ~ character represents the current user's home directory. As seen above, cd ~ is equivalent to cd /home/username/. However, when running a command as root (using sudo, for example), ~ points instead to /root. When running a command with sudo, the full path to your home directory must be given.

Is not fully true, in fact if you run:
sudo echo ~

You'll see:
/home/username

[Connor Imes (ckimes)]

Leo, thank you for your report. I see what you are saying, though it is not entirely accurate. In a basic sudo environment, your user's environment variables remain intact, so ~ still references your home directory. If you entered a sudo-root shell with "sudo -s", you will find that "echo ~" prints your home directory. However, if you use the initial-login switch, "sudo -i", running "echo ~" will print "/root".

I think this note in the docs needs to be removed altogether since it is inaccurate and not really applicable to this specific section of the docs anyway.

[Connor Imes (ckimes)]

I've removed the part of the note talking about using sudo with ~. Fix in Maverick branch, rev. 507.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package ubuntu-docs - 10.10.1

---------------
ubuntu-docs (10.10.1) maverick; urgency=low

  * First release for maverick
  * General:
    - Update copyright year, LP: #580396
    - Update version numbers for maverick, LP: #587119
    - Update pot files
  * Administrative:
    - Users and Groups app UI changed - adjusted directions,
      LP: #570429 (Connor Imes)
  * Basic-commands:
    - Removed incorrect comment about using ~ with sudo,
      LP: #570423 (Connor Imes)
  * Internet:
    - Add section on Ubuntu One, authored by Matt Griffin with
      some changes/review
    - Typos: Cicso -> Cisco. Alex Wardle, LP: #561084
  * Musicvideophotos:
    - Add material on using Ubuntu One Music Store and
      other Music Stores
      within Rhythmbox, content submitted by Matt Griffin
    - Update microphone troubleshooting, LP: #591164
  * Serverguide:
    - Removed erroneous text from vmbuilder command,
      LP: #559190
    - Typo in network-config section. Alex Wardle, LP: #550892
    - Fix typo in Kerberos section. David C. Curtis, LP: #561788
    - Replaced dkim-filter with opendkim, feedback from
      Scott Kitterman. LP: #561825
    - Changed ldapsearch command in ACL section for new authentication
      mechanism. LP: #333733
    - Adjusted certificate wording to be more concise about which
      lines to copy. LP: #575859
    - Changed samba restart command to use new upstart scripts.
      LP: #575540
    - New information about granting groups Admin rights for Samba.
      LP: #579851
    - Various typos and English fixes from Travis Nichol, Connor Imes,
      Vikram Dhillon, Dean Sas, Andrew Rowell. LP: #594913,
      LP: #572959, LP: #603947
    - New Amavisd-new and Spamassassin section which adds note about possible
      large amount of error messages sent to email. LP: #165184 (Adam Sommer)
    - Removed OpenNebula section (Adam Sommer)
    - Removed eBox section (Adam Sommer)
    - Reviewed and updated User Management and Console Security sections
      (Adam Sommer)
    - Fixed spelling typo of dyngroup.schema, fixed ldapscripts <ask> example
      explanation, and ldapscripts example template path. LP: #595001
      (Adam Sommer)
    - Updates to UEC sections (Adam Sommer)
    - New "First Boot" section covering clout-init functionality (Adam Sommer)
    - Fix broken links to installation-guide, add distro-rev-short
      entity, LP: #575961
  * Windows:
    - Change wording of windows/C/preparing.xml, LP: #483153
 -- Matthew East <email address hidden> Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:35:52 +0100