Re: [cobalt-users] unable to convert from vanilla group to shadow group

[Duncan Laurie <duncan@xxxxxxxxxx>]

look at the group files in /etc:

/etc/group
/etc/gshadow

the first is the standard linux group file, containing a list of system
groups and their members.  the second file is the protected version, used
in shadowed systems.  it should be mode 0600, but otherwise nearly
identical to the former.  if group passwords were used then it would
contain the crypted passwords for groups.  however, this feature is
rarely used, and it is not used on any cobalt product.

there are a couple utilities for maintaining these:
`grpunconv' and `grpconv'.  they are used to convert a non-protected 
(group) file into to/from protected (gshadow) format. 

the error you are seeing is the result of the grpconv command failing.
while I cannot guess as to why it is failing, you can try to get more
information by telnetting in as root and running `grpconv` by hand
and noting any errors it may show.  if it does have a problem, you have
a couple options:  the system saves a backup copy of both in /etc/group-
and /etc/gshadow- respectively.  if that doesn't help you can remove
the group shadow file and regenerate it with the grpconv utility.

you also might check the /etc/locks directory for any stale lock files
that might result from an aborted operation. (be sure to do ls -a to
see any hidden files)  [[this is just a precaution, it should not be
the cause of your error but might result from it]]

as always, make backup copies of these files before trying anything!
if all else fails, or if you don't want to try this yourself, call
cobalt support and ask them to take care of it.  (they are very near
clearing the backlog of requests and response times are getting much
better!)


good luck,
-duncan

In article <002801bfbc20$cf381e00$2e0ba8c2@xxxxxxxxx> you wrote:
| Hello There
| 
| We have been having mounting problems with most/alll of our Raq3's what with
| totally losing the admin pages on the GUI and just generally gettting a bit
| fed up with the whole thing, we had a lot fewer problems with the Raq2's!
| The latest problem is that when one of our admin staff add a new site to one
| of our Raq3's we get the following error after we try to confirm the new
| site
| 
| unable to convert from vanilla group to shadow group
| 
| this is a new one on me, I thought these things were web servers not ice
| cream machines!
| 
| Any Ideas
| 
| Gordon McDowall
| FDD
|