UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

At the login prompt of a unix system I get no shell. The backup job ran without a new tape for three days, and when the user tries to logon the message "no shell" appears.

Is the system in the wrong directory for login?

look into the /etc/passwd file:
perhabs someone moved your loginshell to /usr/bin/false or /sbin/noshell......

greetings Preßy

How do I get back to the default shell for login? I'm very rusty with Unix.

Thanks,

John Weldin

You need to change the last column in /etc/passwd file to /bin/bash (or whatever shell you used to have). If you are not the sys admin you need to ask your sys admin to change this for you.

I can access the passwd file. The last line reads like this:

test:,..nH:201:50:test login:/mdbase/test:../menus/menumngr25R1C"passwd" 30 lin

Where do I enter bin/bash?

Here is the entire file:

25R1C"passwd" 30 lines, 1577 characters root:,..nH:0:0:Superuser:/:
system:,..n:
backup:,..nH:0:0:HBS Backup Menu:/:/usr/bin/backupsh
daemon:*,..:1:1:System daemons:/etc:
bin:*,..:2:2:Owner of system commands:/bin:
sys:*,..:3:3:Own*,..:8:8:Assignable devices:/usr/tmp:
cron:*,..:9:16:Cron daemon:/usr/spool/cron:
sysinfo:*,..:11:11:System information:/usr/bin:
lp:*,..:14:18:Printer administrator:/usr/spool/lp:
dos:*,..:16:11OS device:/tmp:
mmdf:*,..:17:22:MMDF administrator:/usr/mmdf:
network:*,..:18:10:MICNET administrator:/usr/network:
nouser:*:28:28:Network user with no access privileges:/:/bin/false
listen:*:37:4:Network daemons:/usr/net/nls:
audit:*,..:38:17:Audit administrator:/tcb/files/audit:
ingres:*,..3E:39:50atabase administrator:/usr/ingres:
info:,..nH:200:50:dealer info area:/usr/info:/usr/bin/infosh
test:,..nH:201:50:test login:/mdbase/test:../menus/menumngr25R1C"passwd" 30 lin

passwd file format:
username:password:uid:gid:gcos-field:home-dir:login-shell
test:,..nH:201:50:testlogin:/mdbase/test:../menus/menumngr25R1C"passwd"

so :../menus/menumngr25R1C"passwd" should be replaced with the shell of your choice (/bin/bash if that is what you want and is available)

(FYI - I merged your two post together since you posted the same question here).

1. Can I backup my passwd file? How do I do that? I presume [copy passwd passwd.old]?

2. Will I damage anything by trying /bin/bash?

3. Should I see a directory called bash under bin? It is not there.

Thanks,

john