pwd_mkdb and lost user accounts

[Pfarthing6]

Hi all,

I'm just getting my feet wet with tracking STABLE, need it to keep upto date on the HAST development. Well, I got to the mergemaster part and it asks me if I want to run [CMD="host#"]/usr/sbin/pwd_mkdb -p /etc/master.passwd[/CMD]. I do, and then, well, all my accounts are hosed.

Can someone enlighten me as to the proper steps to take to "preserve" my user accounts while performing a mergemaster and/or doing the pwd_mkdb update? I bet I'm just missing a little step in there somewhere, but the man page isn't shedding any light.

Thanks!

 

[kpa]

Do not allow mergemaster(8) to overwrite your /etc/passwd, /etc/master.passwd and /etc/group. Update those manually (if needed at all) after finishing the OS upgrade.

 

[DutchDaemon]

You would normally choose 'm' (merge) to allow the new version strings and new system users/groups to be merged with your existing ones. And always keep backups.

 

[Pfarthing6]

Do not allow mergemaster(8) to overwrite your /etc/passwd, /etc/master.passwd and /etc/group. Update those manually (if needed at all) after finishing the OS upgrade.

The second time around, that's exactly what I did. I checked the files, then I ran [CMD="host#"]/usr/sbin/pwd_mkdb -p /etc/master.passwd[/CMD]

After that, my passwd and group files were replaced and my custom users and groups (just me right now, so no biggy) were gone.

 

[Pfarthing6]

You would normally choose 'm' (merge) to allow the new version strings and new system users/groups to be merged with your existing ones. And always keep backups.

As another fellow user was experiencing in this thread, pressing "m" drops me to a "%" prompt and at that point, I'm at a loss for what to do. I ended up with blank passwd and group files.

I'm fine with editing stuff by hand, but this merging stuff and using pwd_mkdb is kind of new for me. Done it a few times on vigin systems, but now is time to learn how to do it on systems that I care about

 

[jb_fvwm2]

From my notes.

sh /usr/src/usr/sbin/mergemaster/mergemaster.sh -vipPc

May mean you're using the latest mergemaster; if you have it in /src/ somewhere; I'd adapt that line to whatever procedure you are using for buildworld. On that partial CLI you posted, I somewhat recall mergemaster doing it instead, not the user...

 

[DutchDaemon]

As another fellow user was experiencing in this thread, pressing "m" drops me to a "%" prompt and at that point, I'm at a loss for what to do.

Press 'l' to accept what is printed on the left side, press 'r' to accept what is printed on the right side, until all is done, then more options are printed (redo, install, view, etc.). I'm sure instructions are printed somewhere on the screen at the start of, or somewhere during, this process, or no one would be able to use it.