[fixed] account unavailable

[Fred Derf Veteran]

My main account doesn't seem available anymore.

I can log in as root and it prompts me for the password.

If I try my main account it tries to login without a password and then says "Login incorrect" from the runlevel 2 shell.

I tried changing the password by logging in as root an issuing the passwd command

i.e. passwd fred666

It prompts me for the old password and allows me to give it a new password but it still doesn't work.

I also tried:

passwd -u fred666

and

passwd -d fred666

Even without a password it doesn't log in.

grr..

I upgraded another round of several hundred packages (including passwd) and then this happened.

Oh... also...

If I login as root and then do a su fred666 it allows me access to my account

Just for the fun of it, I opened the permissions on my user folder (777) and it didn't help

[madd_matt]

Try this. As root, open /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow

Back them up.

Delete both lines that have your username in them.

Ie, /etc/passwd:

fred666:x:1000:100::/home/matt:/bin/bash

and /etc/shadow:

fred666:$1$wjDi5252525iyDblhpehMA8bsdjt.YYKg1:13328:1:99999:5:::

This will delete the account. Next, run the command:

useradd -u 1000 -g yourprimarygroupprobablyusersoryourusername -G any additonal groups like games or audio -s /bin/bash/or/your/shell -p password fred666

[Fred Derf Veteran]

I have yet to fix the problem. I have recreated the account, I have created new accounts and they all do the same thing. None of them prompt for a password.

I also tried booting into my old kernel (2.6.12 rather than 2.6.15).

[markwolfe Veteran]

Do you still have a shell defined? And is your home readable? What does your /etc/passwd file look like?

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Do you still have a shell defined? And is your home readable? What does your /etc/passwd file look like?

Do you still have a shell defined?:

/bin/bash

And is your home readable?:

yes, the files are still there

What does your /etc/passwd file look like?:

when I add an account it shows up in /etc/passwd correctly. root is also set to use /bin/bash

I'm installing KDE to see if any of those user/group tools will help.

edit: Kuser didn't fix it.

Here is what happens:

root@box:/home/fred666# login fred666
System bootup in progress - please wait


Login incorrect
box login:

The above is also what happens from runlevel 2 but it is hard to cut and paste from there.

If I login as root then "su fred666" works without prompting for a password

edit2:

aha. someone else had the same problem two years ago:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/sh...ad.php?t=113955

Edited January 31, 2006 by fred666

[Fred Derf Veteran]

haha. fixed it.

somehow I read whatever language this was:

http://www.abclinuxu.cz/hardware/show/48546

There was a file /etc/nologin that contained the text "System bootup in progress - please wait"

I renamed the file to nologin.bak and everything works properly again.

What a weird thing.

Thanks for everyone's help.

[markwolfe Veteran]

That is strange!

But it gives me a chance to use this smiley! :iiam:

:rofl:

[Fred Derf Veteran]

The nologin file came back after a reboot, I'll have to see what is causing that.

[madd_matt]

That nologon file should be there during boot -- ie, it won't let users boot up until the system is completely on. However it should be removed when the system is ready to accept a login.

Root can still log in because root should always be able to log in :p

There is most likely something wrong with your init scripts