[Lias] User management problem

[Jonathon Coombes]

On Tue, 2003-05-06 at 08:30, Paul Gear wrote:
> Tom Doyle wrote:
> 
> >Hi,
> >
> >I have just deleted a batch of users (all of them) from my new email server.
> >There was no errors and Webmin reported that all was well.
> >
> >I am trying to add the users again and I get an error saying they users
> >already exist. Manually playing with userdel/add gives the following!:
> >
> >[root at test etc]# /usr/sbin/useradd jonesl
> >useradd: user jonesl exists
> >[root at test etc]# /usr/sbin/userdel jonesl
> >userdel: error deleting password entry
> >userdel: error deleting shadow password entry
> >userdel: error removing group entry
> >userdel: error removing shadow group entry
> >
> >I have checked the passwd, group, shadow, gshadow & shadow- files. I dont
> >know what the last file is but none of them have a jonesl entry or any other
> >of the users.
> >
> 
> Any passwd/group/shadow files with a '-' on the end are old copies saved 
> by the system commands when they manipulate the files.
> 
> >Only strange thing is that a select group of users seem to delete and add
> >just fine (about 10 out of 700).
> >
> >No help on google either.
> >
> >I hope someone can help me. Reply to list please.
> >
> 
> Try running 'pwck -r', and see if it picks up any inconsistencies.

I am not sure if it still the case, but I remember on some
distros of Linux, when deleting a user account, it gave the
same generic error (user exists) for three conditions. The
first was that they were in the passwd file, the second if
they were in the shadow or group files, and lastly if the
home directory existed. I dont suppose you have the users
home directories still there?

Regards
-- 
Jonathon Coombes <jon at cybersite.com.au>