[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#1074121: sub{u,g}id creation

[Chris Hofstaedtler]

Package: passwd,base-passwd
X-Debbugs-CC: Helmut Grohne <helmut at subdivi.de>, Johannes Schauer Marin Rodrigues <josch at debian.org>, sbuild at packages.debian.org, debvm at packages.debian.org

Hi Colin et al,

A long time ago, Balint added code to login's postinst to create
/etc/subuid, /etc/subgid. This is necessary, because without the
files existing, useradd does not add entries to them.

However:

1) login is not essential anymore.

2) people want to use useradd from a 'host environment' (like
outside a chroot). In this case, passwd might also be absent.

I had the thought that base-passwd might be a better place to create
these files, but didn't want to introduce extra churn. Helmut
independently suggested a similar thought.

Colin, what do you think? Can/should base-passwd create /etc/subuid,
/etc/subgid on new installs and upgrades?

Best,
Chris