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From: grundy@rtf.bt.co.uk (Martin Grundy)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: passwd file
Message-ID: <1991Apr25.080706.23892@rtf.bt.co.uk>
Date: 25 Apr 91 08:07:06 GMT
References: <1991Apr23.030431.3481@skypod.uucp>
Organization: BT Customer Systems, Brighton, UK
Lines: 52

In article <1991Apr23.030431.3481@skypod.uucp> marc@skypod.uucp (Marc Fournier) writes:
>Hi again,
>
>	I'm a new Minix user and am having my problems getting it up and
>running.  Mostly small problems that I do fix, but I've run across one
>that I don't know:
>
>	Why won't my passwd file keep any new accounts?  If I reboot, the
>passwd file resets to the original values.  Is there anyway around this
>or something I'm forgetting to do?  BTW, I'm still on floppy's.  Does
>that make any difference?  We're looking at hard drive installation
>by the weekend, so if that does make a difference, then hopefully the
>problem goes away...right?
>
>Oh well...thanks for any help, it is very appreciated.
>
>
>-- 
>| Marc G. Fournier   (416) 250-8589  |   Haven't thought of anything  |
>| Toronto, Ontario                   |     real witty to say here!    | 
>| uucp:  marc@skypod.uucp            ---------  And probably...       |
>| Bitnet: marc%skypod@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca   |          never will!   | 

Hi there...

If you are running Minix from floppies, then most likely your root file-
system is on RAM disk. (After you type "=" while booting, does the
screen show "RAM disk >0 k" ?)

If this is so, then you have to update the "root" floppy in order to
keep *any* updated files, as you will lose any files on the RAM disk
when you re-boot.

To do this, mount the root floppy as /user, (make sure you have a good
copy first :-), then copy /etc/passwd to /user/etc/passwd.

The commands are: (log in as root first though).

	mount /dev/fd0 /user
	cp /etc/passwd /user/etc/passwd
	umount /dev/fd0

NB. replace fd0 with the correct device name for your floppy.

Hope this helps.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin Grundy                     |  email: grundy@rtf.bt.co.uk
British Telecom Customer Systems  |
Hyperion House                    |  phone: +44 273 762102
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