Solved the password db file is busy

[byrnejb]

FreeBSD-12.2p10
I went to use the passwd utility on an sshd server host and got this:

passwd: the password db file is busy

A. I discovered that vipw was already running on that server when I logged in.

 

[SirDice]

Somebody else is also running it. Perhaps there's still a vipw(8) opened somewhere?

 

[eternal_noob]

Sounds like someone edited the password file directly with vi, instead of
using the vipw program, and now the shadow password files is out of sync, or
someone
had vipw open and didn't exit properly, leaving a temp file.

In /etc you should have the following:

pwd.db
spwd.db
passwd
master.passwd

All four should have the same date and time stamp. The 2 db files should be
exactly the same size

If you have any other files like passwd.XXXX then delete them, these are
temp
files.

See http://www.verycomputer.com/173_e8f2f24eeed42bff_1.htm#p2

 

[covacat]

fstat /etc/master.passwd (you need root access)

 

[Alain De Vos]

Sometimes this can help:
Regenerate the password database after manually editing or replacing the password file:

/usr/sbin/pwd_mkdb -p /etc/master.passwd

 

[Phishfry]

"had vipw open and didn't exit properly,"

That was what I was thinking. I would be looking at ps -aux and drilling down on logs to see who is running vipw.
These are critical system utilities and the use should draw eyebrows. Especially if the sysadmin is not running it.