[SOLVED] Problems installing zsh as the default shell.

fbluedevil · #1 16th February 2012, 02:32 AM

I want to make zsh my default shell.

When I run the command less /etc/shells, I get the following output.

/sbin/nologin
/bin/dash
/bin/zsh

1) However, when I run the following command chsh --shell /usr/bin/zsh
I get the following output

chsh: chsh: your shell is not in /etc/shells, shell change denied: Permission denied.

2) Running the command as root returns the same result.
3) Running chsh --shell /bin/zsh - also returns the same result

I also tried changing the shell variable using:
4) export SHELL=$SHELL:/usr/bin/zsh : and then logging out and back in

After logging in I get the bash promp againt.

Entering zsh at the command line will get put me into zsh, so zsh is definately installed, but how do I set it up as the default shell?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

bodhi.zazen · #2 16th February 2012, 02:40 AM

I think it should be

Code:

chsh --shell /bin/zsh

(not /usr/bin/zsh)

fbluedevil · #3 16th February 2012, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodhi.zazen

I think it should be

Code:

chsh --shell /bin/zsh

(not /usr/bin/zsh)

I tried that as well - see #3 in my orginal post - it returned the same error message.

dd_wizard · #4 16th February 2012, 04:35 AM

Odd... I get this:

Code:

$ chsh --shell /bin/zsh
Changing shell for gene.
Password: 
Shell changed.

$ chsh --shell /bin/bash
Changing shell for gene.
Password: 
Shell changed.

Perhaps you need to reinstall bash? I know there were some problems that were solved by doing that.

Code:

sudo yum reinstall bash

I see that it was the twelfth yum transaction I did after installing F16.

Code:

$ sudo yum history list bash
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit, remove-with-leaves, show-
              : leaves, verify
ID     | Login user               | Date and time    | Action(s)      | Altered
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    26 | Gene <gene>              | 2011-12-02 15:29 | Update         |    9   
    12 | Gene <gene>              | 2011-11-17 17:18 | Reinstall      |    1   
     3 | Gene <gene>              | 2011-11-14 17:25 | I, U           |  131   
     1 | System <unset>           | 2011-11-14 16:35 | Install        | 1294   
history list

dd_wizard

fbluedevil · #5 16th February 2012, 10:51 AM

dd_wizard

I reinstalled bash and everything worked as advertised! It also solved another problem I was experiencing as in "where are my man pages?". Now I have zsh set up as my default shell and I have access to the man pages again.

Many Thanks!