[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#659147: passwd: Error message is not descriptive

[Simon Waters]

Package: passwd
Version: 1:4.1.4.2+svn3283-2+squeeze1
Severity: wishlist


On changing a regular system password using the passwd command if the user
types their old password wrong they receive the error:

passwd: Authentication token manipulation error

The language here seems unnecessary technical, or at least omits an
 explanation in clearer English like:

"Authentication token manipulation error (did you type your old password correctly?)"

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 6.0.4
  APT prefers stable
  APT policy: (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-25-hvmflexiant (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages passwd depends on:
ii  debianutils           3.4                Miscellaneous utilities specific t
ii  libc6                 2.11.3-2           Embedded GNU C Library: Shared lib
ii  libpam-modules        1.1.1-6.1+squeeze1 Pluggable Authentication Modules f
ii  libpam0g              1.1.1-6.1+squeeze1 Pluggable Authentication Modules l
ii  libselinux1           2.0.96-1           SELinux runtime shared libraries

passwd recommends no packages.

passwd suggests no packages.

-- debconf information:
* passwd/username: debian
* passwd/user-fullname: Debian User