threads / discuss / 55016

Incorrect $HOME value when using runas on Windows

Subject: Incorrect $HOME value when using runas on Windows

## tl;dr

3 messages between Jan 20, 2021 and Jan 22, 2021.

replies: 2people: 3as markdown or json

Mail· Jan 20, 2021, 10:12 UTC · lore
To reproduce the issue:
1. Install git-windows x32 or x64 for all users.
2. Install Total Commader or any other file manager that support system 
context menu
3. Add user in Windows via msc or settings app and set password. Don't 
forget to disable "User must change password on first login" in case 
user created via msc
4. In current user session execute runas.exe /user:NewlyCreatedUser 
"Path To File Manager"
5. Right click on empty space in file list and choose Git bash here
6. Type `echo $HOME` in bash console and press enter
7. The $HOME is `/c/Windows/System32`. Expected `/c/Users/NewlyCreatedUser`
It seems git for windows uses HOMEPATH that points to system32 in case 
of runas command. Might be using USERPROFILE variable is better.
brian m. carlson· Jan 22, 2021, 01:33 UTC · re: Mail · lore

Re: Incorrect $HOME value when using runas on Windows

On 2021-01-20 at 10:12:57, Mail wrote:
Show 14 quoted lines
> To reproduce the issue:
> 1. Install git-windows x32 or x64 for all users.
> 2. Install Total Commader or any other file manager that support system
> context menu
> 3. Add user in Windows via msc or settings app and set password. Don't
> forget to disable "User must change password on first login" in case user
> created via msc
> 4. In current user session execute runas.exe /user:NewlyCreatedUser "Path To
> File Manager"
> 5. Right click on empty space in file list and choose Git bash here
> 6. Type `echo $HOME` in bash console and press enter
> 7. The $HOME is `/c/Windows/System32`. Expected `/c/Users/NewlyCreatedUser`
> It seems git for windows uses HOMEPATH that points to system32 in case of
> runas command. Might be using USERPROFILE variable is better.

I'd recommend reporting this to the Git for Windows project[0]. The setting of $HOME is normally a feature provided automatically by Unix-like operating systems, and its behavior in the MSYS environment is controlled by Git for Windows.

[0] https://github.com/git-for-windows/git
-- 
brian m. carlson (he/him or they/them)
Houston, Texas, US
Johannes Schindelin· Jan 22, 2021, 13:54 UTC · re: brian m. carlson · lore

Re: Incorrect $HOME value when using runas on Windows

Hi,
On Fri, 22 Jan 2021, brian m. carlson wrote:
Show 22 quoted lines
> On 2021-01-20 at 10:12:57, Mail wrote:
> > To reproduce the issue:
> > 1. Install git-windows x32 or x64 for all users.
> > 2. Install Total Commader or any other file manager that support system
> > context menu
> > 3. Add user in Windows via msc or settings app and set password. Don't
> > forget to disable "User must change password on first login" in case user
> > created via msc
> > 4. In current user session execute runas.exe /user:NewlyCreatedUser "Path To
> > File Manager"
> > 5. Right click on empty space in file list and choose Git bash here
> > 6. Type `echo $HOME` in bash console and press enter
> > 7. The $HOME is `/c/Windows/System32`. Expected `/c/Users/NewlyCreatedUser`
> > It seems git for windows uses HOMEPATH that points to system32 in case of
> > runas command. Might be using USERPROFILE variable is better.
>
> I'd recommend reporting this to the Git for Windows project[0].  The
> setting of $HOME is normally a feature provided automatically by
> Unix-like operating systems, and its behavior in the MSYS environment is
> controlled by Git for Windows.
>
> [0] https://github.com/git-for-windows/git

There is actually already a ticket about this: https://github.com/git-for-windows/git/issues/2709

I integrated a patch that fixes this from `git.exe`'s side, but had forgotten the `git-bash.exe` side. Here is a PullRequest to address this:

	https://github.com/git-for-windows/MINGW-packages/pull/45

Mail (if this is your real name, if not, please substitute your real name in your mind), feel free to test that PR's code and report back whether it solves your problem or not.

Ciao, Johannes

← back to recent threads