[Sunhelp] Scary error messages

[Gregory Leblanc]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bruce Mitzit [mailto:archphot at ameritech.net]
> Sent: Friday, May 12, 2000 7:47 PM
> To: sunhelp at sunhelp.org
> Subject: [Sunhelp] Scary error messages
> 
> So, I
> a) open the passwd file with vipw. Opens in emacs, my default editor.
> b) page through a bit. I *change nothing! *
> c) quit emacs. Get this error:
> 
> Root login directory != "/" or default shell missing:
> root:x:0:1:System Administrator:/root:/sbin/sh
> vipw: you mangled the /etc/ptmp file, /etc/passwd unchanged
> Root login directory != "/" or default shell missing:
> root:x:0:1:System Administrator:/root:/sbin/sh
> vipw: you mangled the /etc/ptmp file, /etc/passwd unchanged
> 
> d) do a
> # more /etc/passwd
> root:x:0:1:System Administrator:/root:/sbin/sh
> ...
> Indeed, all looks normal.
> Can su to root. Have shell.

Uhm, read the first part again.  It says 'root login directory != "/"', or
that the 6th field in /etc/passwd for root does not equal "/".  Solaris is a
wee bit cranky about things like that, since it wants to make sure that root
is using a path that will be available if no filesystems other than the root
are mounted, and it's also happiest if root has a statically linked shell,
although it won't complain about that one.  

> ----
> 
> And, while cleaning out bogus and old users:
> 
> # userdel -r zsimon
> UX: userdel: WARNING: Group entry exceeds 512 char: 
> /etc/group entry truncated.
> 
> What do these error messages mean?

Well, I'd guess that it doesn't like something in the /etc/group file.  :-)
The error message is pretty clear, so you might try looking through
/etc/group and see if there are any really long lines.  
	Grego