[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#293492: useradd: by default creates user with unspecified shell, this causes problems

[Alexander Gattin]

tags 293492 confirmed
retitle 293492 [ALEXANDER] useradd: by default creates user with unspecified shell, this causes problems
thanks

Hi!

First of all, it seems that the bug #48304 is back.
I think this happened with switch to 4.x.x series of
shadow.

The reason is empty initial value for def_shell _and_
absense of "SHELL=blahblahblah" line in the
/etc/default/useradd file. This file simply does not
exist on typical Debian system.

To check, run `useradd -D`. If you have no
/etc/default/useradd, you should get:
> cherokee:~# useradd -D
> GROUP=100
> HOME=/home
> INACTIVE=-1
> EXPIRE=
> SHELL=
> SKEL=/etc/skel

You can create the file with e.g. `useradd -D -s /bin/bash`
(and change default shell for new users at the same
time):
> cherokee:~# useradd -D -s /bin/bash 
> cherokee:~# useradd -D
> GROUP=100
> HOME=/home
> INACTIVE=-1
> EXPIRE=
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SKEL=/etc/skel

Maybe we should just distribute a reasonable
/etc/default/useradd [config] file with passwd?

P.S.
BTW: /etc/default/useradd complements /etc/login.defs
and these two interfere (in certain sense) with
/etc/adduser.conf ;)
-- 
WBR,
xrgtn