[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#352117: passwd: UNIX or Linux?

[Nicolas François]

tags 352117 upstream
clone 352117 -1 -2 -3
retitle  -1 passwd: typo in the passwd manpage "TheUNIX"
severity -1 minor

retitle  -2 passwd: arguments in the passwd.1 synopsis should match the ones used in the OPTIONS section
severity -2 wishlist

retitle  -3 passwd: when interrupted, passwd should indicate that the password was not changed
severity -3 wishlist
thanks

On Fri, Feb 10, 2006 at 12:37:23AM +0800, jidanni at jidanni.org wrote:
> Package: passwd
> Version: 1:4.0.13-7
> Severity: wishlist

Thanks for the report. I've cloned you patch to separate the different
issues.

> # COLUMNS=7777 man passwd|spell
> TheUNIX

[BUG -1]
I will commit a patch tonight.

> # passwd
> Enter new UNIX password:
> Retype new UNIX password:
> 
> Looks like I'm connected to an AT&T UNIX machine. Better to say Linux
> or better yet the hostname itself, in case one is ssl'ed several
> layers thick and must be sure about what machine one is changing the
> passwd of.

[BUG 352117]
I think we can drop "UNIX". IMHO, this "UNIX" indicates it is dealing with
the /etc/passwd password. This is no more the case with a PAMified passwd.
I will check this with upstream.

> Also on the man page the long --options are not in the SYNOPSIS,
> and these
>      passwd [-x max] [-n min] [-w warn] [-i inact] login
> should probably be
>      passwd [-x MAX_DAYS] [-n MIN_DAYS] [-w WARN_DAYS] [-i INACTIVE_DAYS] login
> to match the below part of the man page, or at least say
>      passwd [-x days] [-n days] [-w days] [-i days] login
> and INACTIVE should be INACTIVE_DAYS to match the others...

[BUG -2]
In the other shadow utilities' man pages, the synopsis is minimally set to:
<tool> [options] <args>

So this synopsis will probably switch to a similar form.
Otherwise, I agree there's an inconsistency, and the long options could be
indicated.

> Also
> $ passwd
> Changing password for jidanni
> (current) UNIX password:
> Enter new UNIX password:
> Retype new UNIX password:
> Bad: new password is too short
> 
>   Only now you tell me, after having typed it twice.
> 
> Enter new UNIX password:
> Retype new UNIX password:
> 
>  User cannot ^C out of it. User thinks oh no, my password will now be
>  some control chars I hit trying to escape.
> 
> Sorry, passwords do not match
> passwd: Authentication information cannot be recovered
> 
>  Better to say "password unchanged". "Authentication information
>  cannot be recovered" sounds like he just deleted his account.

[BUG -3]
A lot is done by PAM in passwd, I will check if we can detect this case
and inform the user that the password was not changed.

Kind Regards,
-- 
Nekral