Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2007 03:11:49 -0000 (GMT) From: jhall@vandaliamo.net To: "Fred Condo" <fcondo@quinn.com> Cc: jhall@vandaliamo.net, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Moving user/group databases Message-ID: <2926.12.170.206.13.1189221109.squirrel@admintool.trueband.net> In-Reply-To: <604C39AF-A3B8-410D-B096-C8C84E303A55@quinn.com> References: <1756.12.170.206.13.1189198324.squirrel@admintool.trueband.net> <6.0.0.22.2.20070907161149.025a9ad8@mail.computinginnovations.com> <2153.12.170.206.13.1189201903.squirrel@admintool.trueband.net> <604C39AF-A3B8-410D-B096-C8C84E303A55@quinn.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
> > On Sep 7, 2007, at 2:51 PM, jhall@vandaliamo.net wrote: > >>> At 03:52 PM 9/7/2007, jhall@vandaliamo.net wrote: >>>> All of my FreeBSD servers boot from CD, and we are going to be >>>> having >>>> several temporary employees coming and going over the next 6-12 >>>> months. >>>> Is it possible to move the user/group databases from their >>>> location in >>>> /etc (which is read only on my CDs) to another location? >>>> >>>> I have read the man page concerning pw and still do not >>>> understand what I >>>> should be doing. Any suggestions, or direction to a how-to would be >>>> greatly appreciated. >>>> >>>> Thanks, >>>> >>>> >>>> Jay >>> >>> The simplest way would be to put a symbolic link from /etc to a >>> writable >>> location. You will need to re-make your boot CD to have this change. >>> >>> -Derek >>> >>> -- >>> This message has been scanned for viruses and >>> dangerous content by MailScanner, and is >>> believed to be clean. >>> MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support. >>> >>> >> >> I have recreated the CD with the sym links, and I still run into a >> problem >> because adduser tries to create temporary files in /etc. If I >> remember >> correctly, the files it tries to create are /etc/passwd.XXXXXX. >> >> I was able to get pw to work to add the user accounts, but now I am >> trying >> to set the password for new account, and have hit the temp file snag. >> >> Is this something which can be reconfigured in pw.conf? >> >> Thanks, >> >> >> Jay > > It sounds like you made a link for /etc/master_passwd. I'm pretty > sure what DR meant was a symlink for the entire /etc directory: > > /etc -> /somewhere_writable/etc/ > > You need this because adduser also has to rewrite /etc/passwd and / > etc/group when you add/delete users. This means copying your entire / > etc hierarchy somewhere writable; naturally I don't know if this is > acceptable in your organization. > > OK. I have been able to get this to work the way I wanted to. This is what I have done. Create symbloic links in /etc to a rw directory for passwd, master.passwd, group, pw.db, spwd.db. This directory is not located on the CD. Use pw to add users, change passwords, etc. To add a user. pw -V /location/of/directory adduser -n username -h 0 Using the -h 0, you are prompted to enter the password for the user. To modify a user. pw -V /location/of/directory usermod -h 0 Changes the password for the user. Thanks to everyone for their help. Jay
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?2926.12.170.206.13.1189221109.squirrel>