[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#779018: passwd: adding groups to a user with usermod: not possible

[Balint Reczey]

Control: notfound -1 1:4.1.5.1-1

On Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:38:26 -0700 Bob Proulx <bob at proulx.com> wrote:
> tags 779018 + unreproducible moreinfo
> thanks
> 
> phamming wrote:
> > I have some problems with usermod. The options -a returns the help
> > screen, while it should append to the groups the user is belongs
> > to. All other options work fine.
> 
> Thank you for report.  However I cannot reproduce the problem.  It
> works fine for me.
> 
>   # id testuser
>   uid=1002(testuser) gid=1002(testuser) groups=1002(testuser)
>   # usermod -a -G testgroup testuser
>   # id testuser
>   uid=1002(testuser) gid=1002(testuser) groups=1002(testuser)1011(testgroup)
> 
> 
> Unfortunately you did not include a test case showing exactly what you
> did.  Please when submitting a bug report always include enough
> information to reproduce the problem.  This includes the exact command
> line you used.  I suspect that you are missing this part from the manual.
> 
>        -a, --append
>            Add the user to the supplementary group(s). Use only with the -G option.
> 
> Are you using -a with -G?  If not then that will produce an option
> error which will emit the online option help output.
> 
> > I don't know how long this problem exists, because I also use a
> > different route to change group membership. Since this is the
> > prefered way, it is important it is resolved.
> 
> I personally recommend using "useradd" to add users to groups.  The
> syntax is:
> 
>   # adduser username groupname
> 
> > I don't know where this problem is introduced, if it is upstream or
> > in Debian's sources.
> 
> Since I could not reproduce the problem I marked this as
> unreproducable and moreinfo needed.  If you have a test case that
> reproduces the problem please tell us exactly what command line you
> used.
> 
> Thank you for helping to make Debian better.

Closing the bug since we have not received the details in almost two years.

Cheers,
Balint