[Pkg-shadow-devel] Bug#1103523: Bug#1103523: passwd: username -d does not create HOME_DIR when useradd(8) says it will.

[Chris Hofstaedtler]

* Mark Symonds via Pkg-shadow-devel <pkg-shadow-devel at alioth-lists.debian.net> [250418 17:09]:
>Package: passwd
>Version: 1:4.17.4-1
>Severity: normal
>Tags: patch
>
>Dear Maintainer,
>
>In useradd(8), we have the following:
>
>   -d, --home-dir HOME_DIR
>       The new user will be created using HOME_DIR as the value for the user's login directory. The default is to append the LOGIN name to BASE_DIR and use that
>       as the login directory name. If the directory HOME_DIR does not exist, then it will be created unless the -M option is specified.
>
>The last sentence says HOME_DIR will be created, but it is not.  Looking further,
>it appears the reason is because CREATE_HOME does not exist in /etc/login.defs
>
>I've attached a patch to remove the last sentence of above description.

(the patch appears to be missing)

If, as you say, this is configurable in /etc/login.defs, then: IMO 
it would be better to send a patch describing the configurable 
behaviour, and sending that upstream.

For option -M, there is already some text about CREATE_HOME.
I guess it was an overseen that -d would also need some text.

Best,
Chris