PATH manipulation

UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users
1

I have a requirement like this:

I have modified versions of certain internal/external commands that I am putting into some directory say /mydir.

All the users will go an authentication check once they log in and based on the outcome there are two possibilities:

  1. User passes authentication - No action required.
  2. User fails authentication - Any command user executes will be looked upon in /mydir first and if modified version of the command is available there it is

executed else normal command will be executed.

I have taken a simple logical approach to achieve this. Change PATH to PATH=/mydir:$PATH from within /etc/profile. Now I want to restrict the users to

revert back to original path. Is there any way to do this?

Also ideally I don't want users to view this modified PATH and allow them to change the PATH but the change should not take place.
Basically I want to achieve something like this:

  1. User logs in - PATH gets changed to new PATH - User issues PATH command - Original PATH is displayed even though actually PATH is changed and new PATH is

in effect.
2. User tries to change PATH - PATH command is executed - user issues �echo $PATH� to verify - he gets modified PATH displayed but actually PATH is not

changed.

I summary I want to change user's PATH but don't want him to know that this has happened.

Is this possible? Ideally I want to achieve what I have described but if it is not at all possible then at least I want to restrict user from executing

PATH command.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance and look forward know your thoughts on this.

Regards,
Ramesh

2

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