[Adduser-devel] Bug#295416: adduser: deluser will silently delete a group of the same name

[Paul Evans]

Package: adduser
Version: 3.59
Severity: normal


Example:
  # addgroup monkey
  # adduser --ingroup monkey monkey
  # deluser monkey

This example will silently delete the "monkey" group, providing no
output message that it will be doing so. The manpage also gives no
indication that this will happen.

The "monkey" group is deleted even if other users exist for which
"monkey" is their primary group. This behaviour is exhibited for both
normal and --system accounts.

Suggested fixes:

  * Don't delete similarly named group.

or

  * Provide a warning when running deluser; e.g.:

    # deluser monkey
    Removing user `monkey'...
    Warning: Also removing group `monkey'...
    done.
    
    Also document this behaviour in the manpage.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 3.1
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (990, 'testing'), (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.4.28-leo
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)

Versions of packages adduser depends on:
ii  debconf                     1.4.30.11    Debian configuration management sy 
ii  passwd                      1:4.0.3-30.8 Change and administer password and 
ii  perl-base                   5.8.4-6      The Pathologically Eclectic Rubbis

-- debconf information excluded