10

Is there any way that I can pass a Function from one user to another user?

For example, I have a small Bash script that I execute as Root:

#!/bin/bash
user_func(){
  whoami
  exit
}
su vagrant -c 'user_func'

However, the user_func Function isn't defined for the Vagrant user, only for Root, and can't be executed.

My other option would be to have multiple lines of 

su vagrant -c 'cmd1' 
su vagrant -c 'cmd2'
, etc

Or, execute multiple commands ex: su vagrant -c 'cmd1; cmd2; cmd3;', but I'd prefer to not have the excess, especially when attempting to execute more than 5 commands as the Vagrant user.

Is it possible to pass a Function to another user from within the same script (ex. not creating a script on disk as a different user and then executing that generated script)? Or is there another option that I am overlooking?

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4 Answers 4

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10

Sounds like you need to export that function definition first:

#!/bin/bash
user_func (){
  whoami
  exit
}
export -f user_func
su vagrant -c 'user_func'

should do the trick.

The -f tells export that this is a function name rather than a variable name. Quoting from help export:

Marks each NAME for automatic export to the environment of subsequently executed commands. ....

Options:

 -f   refer to shell functions

As pointed out by peterph and Stephane in the comments, this assumes two things:

  1. That your su command will not overwrite the user's environment

  2. That vagrant's login shell is bash. If not, you can use the alternative su command line provided by Stephane:

    su vagrant -c 'bash -c user_func'
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3
  • This is actually exactly what I was hoping for. I didn't realize that you would be able to export the function. This worked just as I was hoping it would after editing the sample script. Thanks! Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 21:48
  • 1
    Nice, but won't work in cases where su overrides the environment. Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 21:51
  • 1
    Note that it only works if the login shell of vagrant is bash. If not, su vagrant -c 'bash -c user_func' Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 21:58
6

It's a bit hackish, but you can print the definition of the function inside the sommand passed to su and then you can of course use it.

$ function foo { do_some_stuff_here; }
$ su test -c "$(typeset -f foo); foo"

This will work even if for some reason the environment of the shell spawned by su will be overwritten, since it puts the definition after shell initialization. If you write the function compatibly enough, it will even work when the two users in question are using different shells.

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2
  • +1 Really neat trick! Just a question though, can the su shell's environment be overwritten by external factors? I mean, in this case you have complete control over the su command line since it's in a script. How can its new shell's environment be overwritten? Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 21:48
  • For example the shell spawned by su might do some initialization of environment. Also su itself might strip some of the caller's environment to tighten security a bit (although this is usually done by more powerful alternatives like sudo). Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 22:04
0

That's not a script you have, it's a function. It sounds like you want a script, though. Make a proper script and put it, as your needs require, either in /usr/local/bin, or in /home/vagrant/bin, and than you should be able to e. g. su vagrant -c '/home/vagrant/bin/myscript.sh'

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1
  • It's a function within a sample script. My hope was to include everything that I want to do within this single script (commands run as Root, and as the Vagrant user), and not have to have a separate script for the Root user and a separate script for the Vagrant user. Commented Dec 23, 2013 at 21:37
0

Another somewhat more portable way to do this (no bash dependency) Is to have your script call its self and have its behavior change based on either context (uid) or parameters. examples of this are given in the documentation for super where they show a script that needs root permissions, calling its self through super when not root.

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