[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#647308: Bug#647308: Bug#647308: passwd: groupmod modifies users, not just groups

[Christian PERRIER]

Quoting Marc Lehmann (schmorp at schmorp.de):

> No, it would not, the user would be unchanged - the user could, for example,
> still access all her files.
> 
> Right *now*, groupmod makes all files that rely on the users group
> inaccessible.
> 
> Thats a much bigger change.

I wouldn't call that a "change". AFAIK, this has always been
groupmod's behaviour.

What you would like, from what I understand, is an option in groupmod
to NOT change users' primary group when the modified group is the
primary group for some users.

That's perfectly understandable, for sure, but this is not a reason
for changing the default behaviour of groupmod (principle of least surprise).


> Right now, the utility of groupmod is severely diminished because it isn't
> possible to modify the group database without ill sideeffect with it.
> 
> In effect, this amounts to writing ones own groupmod.


It's probably only a specific switch for groupmod that's needed in
your case.


-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 836 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/pkg-shadow-devel/attachments/20111109/78ee1993/attachment.pgp>