Topic: Passwords

[Per Sørensen]

Hi

I have just upgraded to 5.6 from a 5.1.2, only it would not upgrade so i did a fresh install of 5.6 on a new HD. Now i don't know the passwords of all my users so is there a way to move the passwords over from 5.1.2 to 5.6. I still have the old HD with 5.1.2. It would save me a lot of work.

Per

[Alejandro]

a full restore should do the job, also a reinstallation disk should do it as well

[guestHH]

Try to copy the following files over to your new harddisk.

/etc/passwd
/etc/passwd-
/etc/shadow
/etc/shadow-
/etc/smbpasswd

[guestHH]

sorry forgot one..

#  /etc/passwd
# /etc/shadow
# /etc/group
# /etc/gshadow
# /etc/smbpasswd

[Per Sørensen]

Hi

I just found out that i kan upgrade to 5.5, so i have done that for now.

Thanks anyway.

Per

[guestHH]

np.

The FAQ will show you which files get backed-up during a regular backup. Just in case for next time

guestHH

[Kelvin]

Hi RequestedDeletion,

Just for interest and personal info, do know if SME also track user accounts in an internal database of some sort or is everything stored in those few password files you listed only ?

Kelvin

[guestHH]

Hi Kelvin,

As far as I know these are the standard *nix password files and samba password files. They are also the only account/password files a standard backup makes.

Should I be wrong, shout it out loud.

Regards,
guestHH

[Kelvin]

Hi RequestedDeletion,

I've just built a new SME server, copied over the passwd, etc. files as listed by your earlier post and checked server manager on the new SME server.

The server manager still reports that there are no users on the system.

This is exactly as I suspected, that SME also tracks users / groups in another database. This also why I've always wanted a utility / server manager option to only backup and restore Users / Groups / Pseudonyms / Passwords.

Any further clues on this ?

Kelvin

[Michiel]

SME stores its account info in /home/e-smith/accounts. However, I don't think it will work if you simply replace that file with the original one. You'll probably run into all kinds of user ID problems etc.

Moreover, I believe the password files are encrypted with a key that's different for each installation. So even if you manage to recreate the exact environment, you'll probably still not be able to use the original password files.

Michiel

[Kelvin]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your thoughts.

This is why I still believe it would be invaluable to have a function within server manager to backup and restore the user accounts, passwords, groups etc.

This should be achievable otherwise the normal backup and restore would not be able to restore the accounts either.

Kelvin

[Drew]

Kelvin,

I totally agree with your last post - there should be a way to backup and then restore just the user/group/mail/passwords/profiles "account" type information.  Seems to me this would allow for a much cleaner 'upgrade' and easier than having to recreate all this on a new server.

As you mentioned - since the full backup/restore seems to have this functionality it makes sense that it could be pared down to only include those items that a person wanted to backup and then provide an easy way to restore just those items.

Always interested to hear more on this topic...

Regards,
Drew

[Per Sorensen]

I have found this to be very helpfull:
http://e-smith.org/bboard/read.php?v=t&f=3&i=31757&t=31757

Per

[Kelvin]

Hi Per,

I don't think the LAT can actually export existing users / groups / passwords, can it ?

Kelvin

[Per Sorensen]

Kelvin wrote:
>
> Hi Per,
>
> I don't think the LAT can actually export existing users /
> groups / passwords, can it ?
>
> Kelvin


No! But once you have all your users, ibays, groups and so on in the files for that. Then life is easy. Hopefully it will be supportet in future SME versions as well

Per

[Kelvin]

>But once you have all your users, ibays, groups and so on in the files for that.
>Then life is easy.

Yes. It would be good for new installations. But, I still want a tool to be able to export / backup then import / restore existing users / groups /etc. without any of the other stuff (ibays, SME settings, etc. etc. etc.).

Kelvin