User-ID not being displayed

dwhitney67 · 02-16-2008, 10:58 PM

Hello,

I have a Fedora 8 system, updated with the latest packages. When I run then "ps -ef" command from a gnome-terminal, the user-name of user logged in is not displayed, but instead the associated user-id. For instance:

Code:

...
root      2944  2873  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/gdm-binary -nodaemon
root      2948     1  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/gdm-binary -nodaemon
root      2951  2944  0 20:05 tty7     00:00:16 /usr/bin/X :0 -br -audit 0 -auth /var/gdm/:0.Xauth -nolisten tcp vt7
root      2961     1  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant -c /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf -u -f
500       3045     1  0 20:06 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/gnome-keyring-daemon -d
500       3048  2944  0 20:06 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/gnome-session
500       3104  3048  0 20:06 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/ssh-agent /usr/bin/dbus-launch --exit-with-session /etc/X11/xinit/Xclients
500       3107     1  0 20:06 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/dbus-launch --exit-with-session /etc/X11/xinit/Xclients
500       3108     1  0 20:06 ?        00:00:00 /bin/dbus-daemon --fork --print-pid 4 --print-address 8 --session
500       3115     1  0 20:06 ?        00:00:00 /usr/libexec/gconfd-2 6
...

Notice that 500 is displayed in lieu of the user-name.

Now, when I run "id" from the same gnome-terminal, the output is as follows:

Code:

uid=500(MyUserId) gid=500(MyUserId) groups=500(MyUserId) context=unconfined_u:system_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023

In this case, the user-name associated with user-id 500 is known. Similarly when I run gnome's "System Monitor" tool and examine the processes running on the system, the user-name associated with each process is displayed correctly.

When I run "ps -u MyUserId", all of the processes being run by this user are displayed.

Thus is it possible that 'ps' command has a bug? Or am I merely doing something wrong? I've been using the "ps -f" command for years and have only seen this problem when the user-name is not properly listed in /etc/passwd. From the evidence I am seeing, my system's /etc/passwd file appears to be fine.

Here's the relevant entry in /etc/passwd:

Code:

MyUserId:x:500:500:My Real Name:/home/MyUserId:/bin/bash

Micro420 · 02-16-2008, 11:07 PM

When you are logged in, type id. What does it show? How about whoami?

dwhitney67 · 02-16-2008, 11:11 PM

As I indicated in the OP, when I run "id":

Code:

$ id
uid=500(MyUserId) gid=500(MyUserId) groups=500(MyUserId) context=unconfined_u:system_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023

When I run "whoami":

Code:

$ whoami
MyUserId

P.S. For security reasons, I am using 'MyUserId' in lieu of posting my real user id here on this forum.

Micro420 · 02-16-2008, 11:12 PM

That's a clue. When I run whoami, it shows my username AND my userID. When I run id, I get my username, not my userID. Are you sure your user doesn't happened to be named '500'? LOL

Dumb question, but did you try rebooting? Try creating a new user, log in as the dummy user, and see if it has the same problem

dwhitney67 · 02-16-2008, 11:32 PM

I created a new user. When I log in as that user and run "id" and "whoami", this is the output I get:

Code:

$ id
uid=501(NewUser) gid=501(NewUser) groups=501(NewUser) context=unconfined_u:system_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023

$ whoami
NewUser

When I run the "ps -f" command, the user-name is displayed in lieu of the user-id... which is correct.

Code:

$ ps -f
UID        PID  PPID  C STIME TTY          TIME CMD
NewUser   6797  6796  0 21:22 pts/2    00:00:00 -bash
NewUser   7087  6797  1 21:28 pts/2    00:00:00 ps -f

When I view all processes:

Code:

$ ps -ef | tail
500       6186  6185  0 21:09 pts/1    00:00:00 -bash
500       6752     1  0 21:22 ?        00:00:00 /usr/bin/system-config-users
root      6753  6752  0 21:22 ?        00:00:00 /usr/sbin/userhelper -w system-config-users
root      6762  6753  0 21:22 ?        00:00:00 /bin/sh /usr/share/system-config-users/system-config-users
root      6763  6762  0 21:22 ?        00:00:01 /usr/bin/python2 /usr/share/system-config-users/system-config-users.py
root      6788  2344  0 21:22 ?        00:00:00 sshd: NewUser [priv]
NewUser   6796  6788  0 21:22 ?        00:00:00 sshd: NewUser@pts/2
NewUser   6797  6796  0 21:22 pts/2    00:00:00 -bash
NewUser   7139  6797  1 21:29 pts/2    00:00:00 ps -ef

Note the user-id 500 is still displayed for the other user that is logged in.

Micro420 · 02-16-2008, 11:38 PM

Okay, at least we can say that there's something wrong with your account, not the system or ps. Other than that, I have no idea why your original account can't display your name. Is it that big of a deal, and is it affecting anything else?

dwhitney67 · 02-16-2008, 11:39 PM

I just noticed that the issue I am experiencing with "ps" is not merely relegated to my user-account, but to the haldaemon account as well.

Here's a snapshot when I run "ps -ef":

Code:

$ ps -ef
...
avahi     2675  2674  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 avahi-daemon: chroot helper
root      2692     1  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 cupsd
68        2701     1  0 20:05 ?        00:00:03 hald
root      2702  2701  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 hald-runner
root      2722  2702  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-input: Listening on /dev/input/event5 /dev/input/event4 /dev/input/event1 /dev/input/event6 /dev/input/event7
root      2757  2702  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 /usr/libexec/hald-addon-cpufreq
68        2758  2702  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-acpi: listening on acpid socket /var/run/acpid.socket
root      2780  2702  0 20:05 ?        00:00:00 hald-addon-storage: polling /dev/sr0 (every 2 sec)
...