Re: Surprise null root password

bob prohaska <fbsd_at_www.zefox.net> wrote on
Date: Tue, 30 May 2023 15:36:21 UTC :

> On Tue, May 30, 2023 at 08:41:33AM +0200, Alexander Leidinger wrote:
> > 
> > Quoting bob prohaska <fbsd@www.zefox.net> (from Fri, 26 May 2023 16:26:06
> > -0700):
> > 
> > > On Fri, May 26, 2023 at 10:55:49PM +0200, Yuri wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > The question is how you update the configuration files,
> > > > mergemaster/etcupdate/something else?
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > Via etcupdate after installworld. In the event the system
> > > requests manual intervention I accept "theirs all". It seems
> > > odd if that can null a root password.
> > > 
> > > Still, it does seem an outside possibility. I could see it adding
> > > system users, but messing with root's existing password seems a
> > > bit unexpected.
> > 
> > As you are posting to -current@, I expect you to report this issue about
> > 14-current systems. As such: there was a "recent" change (2021-10-20) to the
> > root entry to change the shell.
> > https://cgit.freebsd.org/src/commit/etc/master.passwd?id=d410b585b6f00a26c2de7724d6576a3ea7d548b7
> > 
> > By blindly accepting all changes, this has reset the PW to the default
> > setting (empty).
> 
> So it's a line-by-line merge. That's the most sensible explanation available.
> 
> > 
> > I suggest to review changes ("df" instead of "tf" in etcupdate) to at least
> > those files which you know you have modified, including the password/group
> > stuff. After that you can decide if the diff which is shown with "df" can be
> > applied ("tf"), or if you want to keep the old version ("mf"), or if you
> > want to modify the current file ("e", with both versions present in the file
> > so that you can copy/paste between the different versions and keep what you
> > need).
> > 
> 
> The key sequences required to copy and paste between files in the edit screen
> were elusive. Probably it was thought self-evident, but not for me. I last tried 
> it long ago, via mergemaster. Is there is a guide to commands for merging files 
> using /etcupdate? Is it in the vi man page? I couldn't find it.

# man etcpudate
. . .
CONFIG FILE
     The etcupdate utility can also be configured by setting variables in an
     optional configuration file named /etc/etcupdate.conf.  Note that command
     line options override settings in the configuration file.  The
     configuration file is executed by sh(1), so it uses that syntax to set
     configuration variables.  The following variables can be set:

     . . .

     EDITOR          Specify a program to edit merge conflicts.
. . .
ENVIRONMENT
     The etcupdate utility uses the program identified in the EDITOR
     environment variable to edit merge conflicts.  If EDITOR is not set,
     vi(1) is used as the default editor.



So, if you do not want to use vi, you can use either the EDITOR
environment variable or an EDITOR assignment in
/etc/etcupdate.conf to change what editor etcupdate uses for
you to edit merge conflicts with.


===
Mark Millard
marklmi at yahoo.com