[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#443264: closed by Nicolas Fran??ois <nicolas.francois at centraliens.net> (Re: Bug#443264: passwd: useradd ignores default group and creates usergroups instead)

[CaT]

On Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 09:06:05AM +0000, Debian Bug Tracking System wrote:
> This was fixed in the version 1:4.0.18.1-8 of shadow (and passwd).
> This version is not available on Etch.
> 
> In the Etch version, the default behavior, when -g is not specified, is
> always to use/create the primary user group with the same name as the
> user.
> 
> The 1:4.0.18.1-8 version introduced a -n flag to disable this, and use the
> group specified in the configuration file.

Would it be possible to modify this slightly to say that if a GROUP=
line is given in the configuration file then -n is implied and that is
used, otherwise make a new one? It seems to me to be slightly better
behaviour as it, at least to me, easily follows from the actual act of
setting a single, solid group.

> The recommended tool for the creation of users in a Debian system is
> adduser (useradd is a low level tool).
> I would recommend you to use this tool. The USERGROUPS and USERS_GID
> variables of /etc/adduser.conf will probably satisfy your needs (not
> tested, but it would make sense).

Aye. Just that this change is chucking away around a decades+ worth of
learnt behaviour. The above modification would be a good compromise as
it allows one to set the command for the old behaviour or keep the new.

-- 
    "To the extent that we overreact, we proffer the terrorists the
    greatest tribute."
    	- High Court Judge Michael Kirby