Control: merge 471691 -1 On 2017-09-13 19:34 +0200, Sven Joachim wrote:
> On 2013-09-09 17:51 -0400, Eric Cooper wrote: > >> Package: base-passwd >> Version: 3.5.28 >> Severity: normal >> >> I had removed the gnats account on my system since I had no use for >> it, not realizing that it was one of the "standard" ones. On the next >> upgrade of base-passwd, it prompted me as follows: >> >> Setting up base-passwd (3.5.28) ... >> >> update-passwd has found some differences between your system accounts >> and the current Debian defaults. It is advisable to allow update-passwd >> to change your system; without those changes some packages might not work >> correctly. For more documentation on the Debian account policies please >> see /usr/share/doc/base-passwd/README. >> >> The list of proposed changes is: >> >> Adding group "gnats" (41) >> Adding user "gnats" (41) >> Would commit 2 changes >> >> It is highly recommended that you allow update-passwd to make these >> changes >> (a backup file of modified files is made with the extension .org so you >> can >> always restore the current settings). >> >> May I update your system? [Y/n] >> Okay, I am going to make the necessary updates now >> Adding group "gnats" (41) >> Adding user "gnats" (41) >> 2 changes have been made, rewriting files >> Writing passwd-file to /etc/passwd >> Writing shadow-file to /etc/shadow >> Writing group-file to /etc/group >> >> But in fact no gnats entry was made to /etc/shadow: >> >> # pwck -q >> no matching password file entry in /etc/shadow >> add user 'gnats' in /etc/shadow? y >> pwck: the files have been updated > > Indeed. I had a look at the update-passwd source, and there are > functions read_shadow and write_shadow to read and write the shadow > file, but nowhere is there any code to process new/deleted/changed > entries in it. So write_shadow will write back /etc/shadow with the > same content read_shadow had read. Going through the bug list again, I found that the problem had already been reported as #471691. Cheers, Sven