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From: brian@shift.utell.net (Brian Somers)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Help: password db corrupt
Date: 30 May 1997 16:58:31 GMT
Organization: Awfulhak Ltd.
Lines: 34
Message-ID: <5mn0vn$8kq@ui-gate.utell.co.uk>
References: <5mmqub$g2m@news.interlog.com>
Reply-To: brian@awfulhak.org, brian@utell.co.uk
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Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:41921
In article <5mmqub$g2m@news.interlog.com>,
patrick@interlog.com (Patrick McConnell) writes:
> I guess I've done something stupid, and now my password database is
> corrupt. I believe what happened was I over-wrote the /etc/pwd.db file.
> I tried restoring it with the pwd_mkdb command, but it just gives me an
> error. Then I deleted all the related files (/etc/passwd,
> etc/master.passwd, /etc/pwd.db, /etc/spwd.db), and tried again with
> pwd_mkdb. I can get into the system by using -s at the boot: prompt then
> mounting the file systems manually. I've tried adduser, which gives me
> the same error as pwd_mkdb, and I've tried setting the root password
> with the install boot disk. I still have the original copy of the passwd
> file, but it's not much good to me ...
>
> Ok, so if you're finished laughing, does anyone have any suggestions?
Pant pant (wipes smirk from face). Hate that !
master.passwd is the original - the reset are derivations.
You should have a copy of master.passwd in /var/backups. Do a
"mount -a -u -t nonfs" and copy it to /etc. Then do a
"pwd_mkdb master.passwd" to create *pwd.db and do a "vipw"
and a :wq to create your passwd file. You may not even need
the pwd_mkdb step.
> Thanks,
>
> Patrick
>
--
Brian <brian@awfulhak.org> <brian@freebsd.org>
<http://www.awfulhak.org>
Don't _EVER_ lose your sense of humour !