# User account has expired... but it shouldn't [SOLVED]

## meron

Hi, 

After updating kde tot 3.4beta and running the new kuser, I get the following error when i try to log in:

Your account has expired; please contact your system administrator

When i log in as root and run kuser, there is now expiration-date set for for this user, so it doesn't make any sense. Also, changing the password or playing around with the expiration-date lets me log in, but a day later i get the same error again. 

I couldn't find anyting on the forum about this problem and I don't know if it has anything to do whith kde 3.4 or kuser.

thanks,

MeronLast edited by meron on Sun Feb 06, 2005 11:45 am; edited 1 time in total

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## meyerm

Is the relevant part of your /etc/shadow ok? Could you post it here (attn: password!)?

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## meron

I'll post it here..

meron:$1$isthisthepartishouldedit???:12820:0:0:0:0::

Is this of any use?Last edited by meron on Sun Feb 06, 2005 11:36 am; edited 1 time in total

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## meyerm

Please edit your post and remove your password (thats what I meant with "attn: password"  :Wink:  )! Just to be sure...

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## meron

Thanks, i already thought so...

hmmm, that was really stupid...

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## meyerm

 *meron wrote:*   

> meron:<deleted>:12820:0:0:0:0::

 

This line says, you're called meron and your password is <sth. we cannot read>. Your password was last changed today and can be changed again.

But: You must change your pasword also today (it is expired). And your account is disabled the day your password is expired... So, looking at your /etc/shadow, your system behaves correctly.

Change the line into

```

meron:<your password hash>:12820:0:99999:7:::
```

 That should help  :Wink: 

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## meron

I made the change. i guess, tomorrow will show me if it worked.

anyway, thanks a lot!

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## j-m

 *meyerm wrote:*   

> Please edit your post and remove your password (thats what I meant with "attn: password"  )! Just to be sure...

 

Why? Are you able to decrypt it? Me not...   :Rolling Eyes: 

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## meyerm

 *j-m wrote:*   

> Are you able to decrypt it?

 

Yes. (*)

 *j-m wrote:*   

>  Me not...  

 

You need a faster computer  :Razz: 

(*) Honestly: it depends on his password. When he is using a quite simple password, it can be cracked within no time on a ordinary desktop computer. When it is a complicated one with many special characters, numbers and so on, then it gets very hard.

If it's impossible to crack the passwords using the salted hash, why is /etc/shadow only root-readable?

From time to time I check the passwords of an application server with approx. 200 users. The cracker is running with very low priority in the background but still manages to get several passwords within a few days (and then the users are in trouble  :Wink:  ).

So, always be paranoid and don't show the whole world within a public internet forum your shadow entries...

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## meron

hmm,  always strange when people talk about you.

i already changed my password and stopped the sshd

But it's true... I was careless.

Well at least I learned something today.

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## meyerm

 *meron wrote:*   

> hmm,  always strange when people talk about you.

 

 :Wink:  Sorry.

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## meyerm

 *meron wrote:*   

> After updating kde tot 3.4beta and running the new kuser, I get the following error when i try to log in:

 

Oh, I just realized that you're using KDE 3.4beta. Did you already file a bugreport? If not, please do so now. Thank you very much.

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## meron

about the bug report

To be honest, i don't really know what caused the problem. I guess it had something to do with kuser, but shouldn't I have some more information before filing a bug report (like certainty what caused the problem).

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## meyerm

 *meron wrote:*   

> To be honest, i don't really know what caused the problem. I guess it had something to do with kuser, but shouldn't I have some more information before filing a bug report (like certainty what caused the problem).

 

Well, just look at your /etc/shadow. If it is ok now but damaged after using kuser even though you used the correct options than that is enough for a bug report.  :Smile: 

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## blaster999

Kuser in kde 3.4 rc1 is very buggy. I had this problem with expired password today. Moreover, when I edited a user, it filled the entry in /etc/passwd incorrectly - the user had the UID 0, had no homedir and login shell. If anyone fills a bugreport, I'll definately vote for it (or maybe I'll fill a report myself).

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## meyerm

 *blaster999 wrote:*   

> Kuser in kde 3.4 rc1 is very buggy. I had this problem with expired password today. Moreover, when I edited a user, it filled the entry in /etc/passwd incorrectly - the user had the UID 0, had no homedir and login shell. If anyone fills a bugreport, I'll definately vote for it (or maybe I'll fill a report myself).

 

Yes, please do that - even though it is already quite late for KDE 3.4. But do it now  :Smile: 

(I don't have 3.4 for now since I'm busy preparing my exams.)

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## blaster999

There seems to be a bugreport already: http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=100443

I'll vote for it, please vote also (to make sure kde devs notice it  :Smile:  )

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## Cintra

The final 3.4 kuser would still appear to be buggy.. I simply wanted to add my user account to another group and zap, the kde seg screen appeared. I fixed the account by logging in to kde 3.3, where thankfully it made the change OK.

mvh

Edit: the changes were made, BUT I spoke too soon, I am unable to login as that user either in kde 3.3 or 3.4. 

Guess I'll see if a new user works OK, if not, its Restore time!

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## meyerm

Not nice...

BTW: Does the specific problem of wrong entries in the passwd file still appear with KDE 3.4 or didn't they fix it?

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## Cintra

 *meyerm wrote:*   

> Not nice...
> 
> BTW: Does the specific problem of wrong entries in the passwd file still appear with KDE 3.4 or didn't they fix it?

 

To me it looks as though its not fixed in the monolithic 3.4.. I made a new user in kde 3.3 kuser, deleted the screwed up one, but, although I can see the new user in kuser, she doesn't appear in the login window or the control center login manager! If I type in the name & passwd anyhow at login, I get the same sort of error messages I saw with kde 3.4 and eventually bomb out to a new login.. I'll wait and see if anything new shows up in my next emerge sync, if not I'll do a restore in the morning. Something is not good..  and all was working so well in kde 3.4 until I touched kuser!

Mvh

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## meyerm

No panic  :Wink: 

The problems with your user account are all solvable without installing anything new. If you got problems just write into the forum.

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## Cintra

You were right as it turned out, and restore was unnecessary.

I went through the /home/'user' folders. found some very odd ownerships and deleted user remnants. Cleared them all out, and was finally able to login ok as a new user. Now I want to add the new user to the portage group but I'm damned if I'll use kuser again until I have a new backup..  :Wink: 

mvh

edit: now I hope someone else has experience with the problems I've posted elsewhere concerning 2.6.12-rc1

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## meyerm

 *Cintra wrote:*   

> Now I want to add the new user to the portage group but I'm damned if I'll use kuser again until I have a new backup.. 

 

Perhaps you know, but just in case I'd like to point you to the /etc/group file. Just add the user with your favorite editor to the line with the portage group and login with that user. With "id" you can get all your group memberships ("groups" is perhaps nicer to look at).

Sorry if you already knew - just want to help  :Wink: 

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## Cintra

I do appreciate your help.. my linux skills do not lie in the user admin area I'm afraid.

I had just read the various man pages and looked for /etc/group, but missed it first time round, looking for /etc/group/ ..duh!

Mvh

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## spiralvoice

 *meyerm wrote:*   

> Change the line into  ...  That should help 

 

Thank you for this tip, I also messed my system with kuser and for weeks I

could only login using kdm which apparently does not check these entries.

Console or SSH login was impossible until now  :Very Happy: 

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