I can't login with newly created user

r_ibsen · 06-19-2004, 05:13 AM

I'm having problems creating new users and making them function properly:

Code:

useradd -d /home/testuser -g users -m -p dropdead -s /bin/bash testuser

This seems to work out fine. However, when I log out and try (through gdm) to login as testuser, no matter what I type for password it is rejected. I then login as root and do a su to testuser to try and set the password again:

Code:

T23 root # su - testuser
testuser@T23 testuser $ passwd
Changing password for testuser
(current) UNIX password: [I enter dropdead]
passwd: Authentication token manipulation error
testuser@T23 testuser $

Any suggestions? Could it be some file permissions are screwed up? I haven't got a clue :-(

Andrew Benton · 06-19-2004, 08:27 AM

Become root and then do
passwd testuser

homey · 06-19-2004, 08:32 AM

The command: useradd fred -p testing does create the user ok but if you look in the /etc/shadow file, you can see the plain text password. That is most likely why the password fails. I don't know off hand what the command is to make -p create an encrypted password.
The easiest sollution which I know of for now is use the command: passwd fred which will prompt you ( root user ) for the new password. Then look at /etc/shadow as you will see the password is encrypted now.