RH 9 - Problem Creating New User Accounts

I have a problem when trying to create new user accounts on my system
using the command line.

When I go to add a user and create a user account using the command adduser
< username> I get the error message :
"unable to lock file"

I am stuffed if I know why I can't add more users to my system , I haven't
played around with any of the config files to create user accounts.
I can however create new users through the Gnome utility , but I just can't
add new users with the command line utility adduser

I even have tried useradd < username> but that doesn't work either.

So does anybody know why I can't create new user accounts and how to fix it
?

Thanks


--
Sandgroper
----------------------------------
Remove KNICKERS to Email
[email]steveray@KNICKERSiinet.net.au[/email]

Sandgroper wrote:[color=blue]
> I have a problem when trying to create new user accounts on my system
> using the command line.
>
> When I go to add a user and create a user account using the command adduser
> < username> I get the error message :
> "unable to lock file"
>
> I am stuffed if I know why I can't add more users to my system , I haven't
> played around with any of the config files to create user accounts.
> I can however create new users through the Gnome utility , but I just can't
> add new users with the command line utility adduser
>
> I even have tried useradd < username> but that doesn't work either.
>
> So does anybody know why I can't create new user accounts and how to fix it
> ?
>
> Thanks
>
>
> --
> Sandgroper
> ----------------------------------
> Remove KNICKERS to Email
> [email]steveray@KNICKERSiinet.net.au[/email]
>
>[/color]

Your error message is probably:[color=blue]
> "unable to lock password or group file"[/color]


AFAIK, Only 'root' user can add new users and groups.

Try this:

Become root user
$ su root

# useradd ......
# exit
$

------------
Your graphical GNOME tool has certainly a SETUID or SETGID bit set,
=> so it can run with 'root's privileges.

// moma
[url]http://www.futuredesktop.org[/url]

Sandgroper wrote:[color=blue]
> I have a problem when trying to create new user accounts on my system
> using the command line.
>
> When I go to add a user and create a user account using the command adduser
> < username> I get the error message :
> "unable to lock file"
>
> I am stuffed if I know why I can't add more users to my system , I haven't
> played around with any of the config files to create user accounts.
> I can however create new users through the Gnome utility , but I just can't
> add new users with the command line utility adduser
>
> I even have tried useradd < username> but that doesn't work either.
>
> So does anybody know why I can't create new user accounts and how to fix it
> ?
>
> Thanks
>
>
> --
> Sandgroper
> ----------------------------------
> Remove KNICKERS to Email
> [email]steveray@KNICKERSiinet.net.au[/email]
>
>[/color]

Your error message is probably:[color=blue]
> "unable to lock password or group file"[/color]

AFAIK, Only 'root' user can add new users and groups.

Try this:

Become root user
$ su root

# useradd ......
# exit
$

------------
Your graphical GNOME tool has certainly a SETUID or SETGID bit set,
=> so it can run with 'root's privileges.

------------
Most likely also 'sudo' users can add new users, groups.
$ sudo useradd ....

But it requires settings in /etc/sudoers file.
For more info about this.
$ man sudo

$ man adduser

// moma
[url]http://www.futuredesktop.org[/url]

"moma" <moma@example.net> wrote in message
news:6_bmc.1991$Yc.31189@news4.e.nsc.no...[color=blue]
> Sandgroper wrote:[/color]
[color=blue]
>
> Your error message is probably:[color=green]
> > "unable to lock password or group file"[/color]
>
> AFAIK, Only 'root' user can add new users and groups.
>
> Try this:
>
> Become root user
> $ su root
>
> # useradd ......
> # exit
> $
>[/color]

Thanks , I will try it.
I was actually logged in as root user when I was trying to make new user
accounts.


--
Sandgroper
----------------------------------
Remove KNICKERS to Email
[email]steveray@KNICKERSiinet.net.au[/email]

Sandgroper wrote:[color=blue]
> "moma" <moma@example.net> wrote in message
> news:6_bmc.1991$Yc.31189@news4.e.nsc.no...
>[color=green]
>>Sandgroper wrote:[/color]
>
>[color=green]
>>Your error message is probably:[color=darkred]
>> > "unable to lock password or group file"[/color]
>>
>>AFAIK, Only 'root' user can add new users and groups.
>>
>>Try this:
>>
>>Become root user
>>$ su root
>>
>># useradd ......
>># exit
>>$
>>[/color]
>
>
> Thanks , I will try it.
> I was actually logged in as root user when I was trying to make new user
> accounts.
>
>
> --
> Sandgroper
> ----------------------------------
> Remove KNICKERS to Email
> [email]steveray@KNICKERSiinet.net.au[/email]
>
>[/color]
Re-hello,

Ref. [url]http://www.webhostingtalk.com/archive/thread/193037-1.html[/url]

It talks about /etc/.pwd.lck


// moma

Sandgroper wrote:[color=blue]
> "moma" <moma@example.net> wrote in message
> news:6_bmc.1991$Yc.31189@news4.e.nsc.no...
>[color=green]
>>Sandgroper wrote:[/color]
>
>[color=green]
>>Your error message is probably:[color=darkred]
>> > "unable to lock password or group file"[/color]
>>
>>AFAIK, Only 'root' user can add new users and groups.
>>
>>Try this:
>>
>>Become root user
>>$ su root
>>
>># useradd ......
>># exit
>>$
>>[/color]
>
>
> Thanks , I will try it.
> I was actually logged in as root user when I was trying to make new user
> accounts.
>
>
> --
> Sandgroper
> ----------------------------------
> Remove KNICKERS to Email
> [email]steveray@KNICKERSiinet.net.au[/email]
>
>[/color]

Re-hello,

Ref. [url]http://www.webhostingtalk.com/archive/thread/193037-1.html[/url]

It talks about /etc/.pwd.lck

Check also that there is no /etc/ptmp file.

// moma

"moma" <moma@example.net> wrote in message
news:Tjomc.2192$id.31603@news2.e.nsc.no...[color=blue]
>
> Re-hello,
>
> Ref. [url]http://www.webhostingtalk.com/archive/thread/193037-1.html[/url]
>
> It talks about /etc/.pwd.lck
>
> Check also that there is no /etc/ptmp file.
>
> // moma[/color]

Thanks for the URL .
I have hopefully solved the problem , in /etc I found quite a few files
listed as :
shadow.lock
gshadow.lock
passwd.lock
group.lock.
I renamed these file to *.old and I can now add new users.

I will check for the /etc/.pwd.lck file to see it is also there as well as
the /etc/ptmp file.


--
Sandgroper
----------------------------------
Remove KNICKERS to Email
[email]steveray@KNICKERSiinet.net.au[/email]