Bug 441460

Summary: useradd error message unhelpful
Product: [Fedora] Fedora Reporter: JW <ohtmvyyn>
Component: shadow-utilsAssignee: Peter Vrabec <pvrabec>
Status: CLOSED CURRENTRELEASE QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance <extras-qa>
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: low    
Version: 8CC: tmraz
Target Milestone: ---   
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: 4.0.18.1-22.fc8 Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2008-04-09 05:21:53 UTC Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description JW 2008-04-08 08:28:44 UTC
Description of problem:
useradd doesn't like telling you why the command-line is a syntax error
And/or the particular command-line is not faulty.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
shadow-utils-4.0.18.1-18

How reproducible:
Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. useradd -M -b /home/users testac


Actual results:
Usage: useradd [options] LOGIN
Options:....


Expected results:
Should work, or should say why it is a syntax error.

Additional info:
There is nothing in the usage or manual to indicate that -M or -b are somehow
exclusive.  There is nothing wrong with specifying -M (dont create home
directory) and the -b option (where home directory base is ... needed to enter
into passwd file anyhow).

Apparently -b requires a -D. But the plain usage() is really quite lame and
unhelpful. Wouldn't all those usage()'s be better replaced with fatal("This is
the reason for the failure").

How much would that cost?

Comment 1 Fedora Update System 2008-04-08 13:20:50 UTC
shadow-utils-4.0.18.1-22.fc8 has been submitted as an update for Fedora 8

Comment 2 JW 2008-04-08 13:47:41 UTC
shadow-utils-4.1.1 looks a lot better with useful error messages.


Comment 3 Fedora Update System 2008-04-09 05:21:51 UTC
shadow-utils-4.0.18.1-22.fc8 has been pushed to the Fedora 8 stable repository.  If problems still persist, please make note of it in this bug report.