Fcron cant find fcron user in passwd

OnFire · 07-05-2005, 05:11 AM

I got a real strange problem that i don't can find out to fix.
I have a fine installed LFS 6 System without any troubles and after LFS i have worked a lot wit the BLFS add-ons, the most of them are going fine. But now i stuck by the fcron.

After i have configured fcron:

./configure --prefix=/usr --with-spooldir=/var/spool/fcron --with-pam=no --with-boot-install=no --with-piddir=/var/run --with-etcdir=/etc --sysconfdir=/etc

and run make and make install i can start fcron daemon without any problem. But when i try to start fcrontab to add user-defined jobs he says all the time

user "fcron" is not in passwd file. Aborting.

Ok, so i have uninstalled fcron and reinstalled again and have tried other versions of them too but all get the same error.
I have copied my passwd file to /usr/etc to see if this can fix the problem but without any result.

Has here anyone an idea that can help me to get fcron right to run?

Greetz OnFire

-- yes user fcron is in the passwd file and in the group fcron

freegianghu · 07-05-2005, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OnFire
I got a real strange problem that i don't can find out to fix.
I have a fine installed LFS 6 System without any troubles and after LFS i have worked a lot wit the BLFS add-ons, the most of them are going fine. But now i stuck by the fcron.

After i have configured fcron:

./configure --prefix=/usr --with-spooldir=/var/spool/fcron --with-pam=no --with-boot-install=no --with-piddir=/var/run --with-etcdir=/etc --sysconfdir=/etc

and run make and make install i can start fcron daemon without any problem. But when i try to start fcrontab to add user-defined jobs he says all the time

user "fcron" is not in passwd file. Aborting.

Ok, so i have uninstalled fcron and reinstalled again and have tried other versions of them too but all get the same error.
I have copied my passwd file to /usr/etc to see if this can fix the problem but without any result.

Has here anyone an idea that can help me to get fcron right to run?

Greetz OnFire

-- yes user fcron is in the passwd file and in the group fcron

Try:

Code:

# useradd fcron

OnFire · 07-05-2005, 08:47 AM

Yes i have tried this and fcron is in the passwd file and as group in group

passwd:

fcron:!:13:13::/dev/null:/bin/false

group:

fcron:x:13:fcron

It looks like that he isnt able to look into the passwd file

OnFire · 07-05-2005, 08:48 AM

when i try to set a users name like this:

fcrontab -u root -l

he says that root isnt in the passwd :-)

freegianghu · 07-06-2005, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OnFire
when i try to set a users name like this:

fcrontab -u root -l

he says that root isnt in the passwd :-)

Its may be due to shadow config problem. Have you ever run pwconv, grpconv? If not, you should run once

OnFire · 07-06-2005, 04:57 AM

Ok, i haven't done that befor. But now i have done and there was created a gshadow and a shadow now with fcron included. But he allmost say there is no user fcron in passwd :-(

Im real confused now! :-)

freegianghu · 07-06-2005, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OnFire
Ok, i haven't done that befor. But now i have done and there was created a gshadow and a shadow now with fcron included. But he allmost say there is no user fcron in passwd :-(

Im real confused now! :-)

I dont know when your changes take effect (logout, reboot, ..)

OnFire · 07-06-2005, 05:15 AM

wait i try!

OnFire · 07-06-2005, 05:21 AM

have done a reboot now, and have tried again fcrontab -l and is the same error again!

freegianghu · 07-06-2005, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OnFire
have done a reboot now, and have tried again fcrontab -l and is the same error again!

Try once more:

Code:

# userdel fcron
# groupdel fcron
# groupadd -g 13 fcron
# useradd -u 13 -g fcron -h /dev/null -s /bin/false

After doing above commands, have a look at /etc/passwd && /etc/shadow to check for user fcron existed

Good luck,
Giang Hu

OnFire · 07-06-2005, 08:20 AM

Have done that steps, again. In passwd is now again fcron and in shadow is fcron too, but it can be in shadow the old one. So i have redone pwconv to be clear its the new one.
But nothing happens the problem is the same as befor he don't can find user fcron in passwd.
I have tried to look in the sources of fron if i can see there a path to the passwd or something else that i can manually manipulate but i don't have found something like that.
I think i will try to use a other cron and look what happens there. But i think too that is not normal, all other programs can find the passwd and work with him fine.

freegianghu · 07-06-2005, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OnFire
Have done that steps, again. In passwd is now again fcron and in shadow is fcron too, but it can be in shadow the old one. So i have redone pwconv to be clear its the new one.
But nothing happens the problem is the same as befor he don't can find user fcron in passwd.
I have tried to look in the sources of fron if i can see there a path to the passwd or something else that i can manually manipulate but i don't have found something like that.
I think i will try to use a other cron and look what happens there. But i think too that is not normal, all other programs can find the passwd and work with him fine.

I guess your shadow library had problem. Normally, you just type useradd once then user must existed in both passwd and shadow files (need not convert by using pwconv). Considdering reinstall shadow :-?

Regards,
GH

OnFire · 07-06-2005, 08:39 AM

Ok, first i try to reinstall shadow !
But after that i will try another cron.

OnFire · 07-06-2005, 06:35 PM

Ok, i don't had shadow installed on my system, and i don't had PAM and cracklib installed. So i have installed that all to get shadow on the machine. Now all is installed and shadow and also PAM works fine.
After all that, i have recompiled fcron with PAM support and by configuration check he has found shadow and all that nice things that are now new on my machine.
I have after all made a restart of my server and all came up fine. Fcron is running as daemon but don't know at moment if he work or not.
Now when i try to make fcrontab -l he is giving me the same error as befor all that stuff.

1 2 3 4 5 ....

Ok to hold up the good style of my writing i count a bit to come down.

I wonder that my machine is not able to work with fcron ...

But all to you guys that take a break here to help me out:

A BIG THANK YOU!

Will tomorrow try to get another cron to work ...

Greetz OnFire

OnFire · 07-07-2005, 07:30 AM

Hey Guys,

Thibault Godouet the Author form Fcron has give me the kick to get it to work.
Its so easy!
My rights for the passwd, group, and shadow file are by default
"-rw-------" 600
what i had todo was to change to
"-rw-r--r--" 644

Some things can be sooooo easy, when you know them!

Greetz OnFire