[Adduser-devel] Bug#299050: related - group ownership of /etc/skel

[Dane Miller]

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I may have some helpful info.  I received the same error from adduser
even after having removed all symlinks from /etc/skel.

/etc/skel ownership was set to root:adm.  However, the error went away
when I reset the ownership of /etc/skel to root:root.  Here's a
transcript:

ladmin@atlas:~$ ls -ld /etc/skel
drwxr-x---  25 root adm 4096 2005-04-14 08:34 /etc/skel

ladmin@atlas:~$ sudo adduser turner
Adding user `turner'...
make: Entering directory `/var/yp'
make[1]: Entering directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
Updating netid.byname...
make[1]: Leaving directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
make: Leaving directory `/var/yp'
Adding new group `turner' (1001).
make: Entering directory `/var/yp'
make[1]: Entering directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
Updating group.byname...
Updating group.bygid...
Updating netid.byname...
make[1]: Leaving directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
make: Leaving directory `/var/yp'
Adding new user `turner' (1001) with group `turner'.
make: Entering directory `/var/yp'
make[1]: Entering directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
Updating passwd.byname...
Updating passwd.byuid...
Updating netid.byname...
Updating shadow.byname...
make[1]: Leaving directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
make: Leaving directory `/var/yp'
Creating home directory `/home/turner'.
Copying files from `/etc/skel'
Use of uninitialized value in symlink at /usr/sbin/adduser line 695,
<FIND> line 339.
symlink: No such file or directory
Cleaning up.
Removing directory `/home/turner'
rm: cannot remove `/home/turner': Permission denied
Removing user `turner'.
userdel: unable to lock password file
Removing group `turner'.
groupdel: cannot remove user's primary group.


ladmin@atlas:~$ sudo chown root:root /etc/skel

ladmin@atlas:~$ ls -ld /etc/skel
drwxr-x---  25 root root 4096 2005-04-14 08:34 /etc/skel

ladmin@atlas:~$ sudo adduser happyuser
Adding user `happyuser'...
make: Entering directory `/var/yp'
make[1]: Entering directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
Updating netid.byname...
make[1]: Leaving directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
make: Leaving directory `/var/yp'
Adding new group `happyuser' (1009).
make: Entering directory `/var/yp'
make[1]: Entering directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
Updating group.byname...
Updating group.bygid...
Updating netid.byname...
make[1]: Leaving directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
make: Leaving directory `/var/yp'
Adding new user `happyuser' (1009) with group `happyuser'.
make: Entering directory `/var/yp'
make[1]: Entering directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
Updating passwd.byname...
Updating passwd.byuid...
Updating netid.byname...
Updating shadow.byname...
make[1]: Leaving directory `/var/yp/ofs_wkstn'
make: Leaving directory `/var/yp'
Creating home directory `/home/happyuser'.
Copying files from `/etc/skel'
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully
Changing the user information for happyuser
Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default
        Full Name []:
        Room Number []:
        Work Phone []:
        Home Phone []:
        Other []:
Is the information correct? [y/N] y


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Dane Miller
Technology Coordinator
Olney Friends School
Barnesville, Ohio

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