UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Yes, I do have a password file and I just inspected it and there isn't anything wrong with it.

now, I cant make no changes to the password file because the permissions are -rw-r--r--

the read and write area means only root can manipulate this file because the file itself belongs to root.

also, when you talk about bring the system to single user mode, what exactly are the commands used to do this?? in other words, how is it done??

If you're using Redhat 7.2, you have a few options to get to single-user. I think Redhat puts this stupid graphic selection screen in if you're using LILO. I can't remember exactly, but I think you can press ctrl+X to get to a text prompt. From there, you should be able to type:
linux single
to boot into single user. I'm not sure what to do if you installed grub instead.
If you can't do this, either use your boot disk (or rescue disk, if you created one) and at the prompt there, you can either type "linux single" (from resuce disk) or "linux single root=/dev/hda" (from regular boot disk, assuming /dev/hda is your root partition).

In most cases, by default, it will drop you into a root shell, where you can check the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow file for the root account (the very top line). Look for anything odd in there, and post back to let us know what's going on.


Aside from this, all I can find on this particular error is that it's an obscure bug in GNU-fileutils. If the passwd file doesn't turn anything up, you may try recompiling and installing fileutils, the alpha (caution, test code!) of which can be found here:
ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/fetish/

Good luck!

If you have a good password file and the password entry for root exists, then perhaps your problem is that either the home directory or the login shell for the root entry does not exist.

My suggestion is that you post the password file in the forums for folks to review ..... you can always change it later If you don't want to post the entire file, just post the line for root.

thanks alot to everybody thats trying to help me out.

anyway, I got the root account to work by booting from the linux cdrom. I typed linux rescue and I was presented with the opportunity to set things right. (a text based account)

I found out that some of the configuration files of root got messed up so I replaced the root's corrupt files with other user's file.