Debian Bug report logs - #516285
It seems to accept anything for 'yes'

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Enrico Zini <enrico@debian.org>

To: Debian Bug Tracking System <submit@bugs.debian.org>

Subject: It seems to accept anything for 'yes'

Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:16:02 +0000

Package: adduser
Version: 3.110
Severity: minor

Hello,

thanks for maintaining adduser.

I was quite surprised when I was creating a test user and I got this:

pico:/# adduser enrico
Adding user `enrico' ...
Adding new group `enrico' (1000) ...
Adding new user `enrico' (1000) with group `enrico' ...
The home directory `/home/enrico' already exists.  Not copying from `/etc/skel'.
adduser: Warning: The home directory `/home/enrico' does not belong to the user you are currently creating.
Enter new UNIX password: 
Retype new UNIX password: 
passwd: password updated successfully
Changing the user information for enrico
Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default
        Full Name []: p
        Room Number []: p
        Work Phone []: p
        Home Phone []: p
        Other []: p
Is the information correct? [Y/n] p
pico:/# adduser enrico
adduser: The user `enrico' already exists.
pico:/#

Apparently, it was happy to take 'p' for a yes.


Ciao,

Enrico

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 5.0
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.26-1-amd64 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Versions of packages adduser depends on:
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]         1.5.24     Debian configuration management sy
ii  passwd                        1:4.1.1-6  change and administer password and
ii  perl-base                     5.10.0-19  minimal Perl system

adduser recommends no packages.

Versions of packages adduser suggests:
ii  liblocale-gettext-perl        1.05-4     Using libc functions for internati
ii  perl-modules                  5.10.0-19  Core Perl modules

-- debconf information:
  adduser/homedir-permission: true

Message #10 received at 516285@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Stephen Gran <sgran@debian.org>

To: Enrico Zini <enrico@debian.org>, 516285@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: [Adduser-devel] Bug#516285: It seems to accept anything for 'yes'

Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:40:09 +0000

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This one time, at band camp, Enrico Zini said:
> Is the information correct? [Y/n] p
> pico:/# adduser enrico
> adduser: The user `enrico' already exists.
> pico:/#
> 
> Apparently, it was happy to take 'p' for a yes.

Since the default is 'yes', the code only looks to see if you've
actively negated the action.  I think, while perhaps slightly silly,
this is ultimately correct.

Cheers,
-- 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
|   ,''`.                                            Stephen Gran |
|  : :' :                                        sgran@debian.org |
|  `. `'                        Debian user, admin, and developer |
|    `-                                     http://www.debian.org |
 -----------------------------------------------------------------

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Message #15 received at 516285@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Enrico Zini <enrico@debian.org>

To: Stephen Gran <sgran@debian.org>

Cc: 516285@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: [Adduser-devel] Bug#516285: It seems to accept anything for 'yes'

Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:52:00 +0000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 01:40:09PM +0000, Stephen Gran wrote:
> This one time, at band camp, Enrico Zini said:
> > Is the information correct? [Y/n] p
> > pico:/# adduser enrico
> > adduser: The user `enrico' already exists.
> > pico:/#
> > Apparently, it was happy to take 'p' for a yes.
> Since the default is 'yes', the code only looks to see if you've
> actively negated the action.  I think, while perhaps slightly silly,
> this is ultimately correct.

My rationale was that if garbage is detected, then one cannot assume to
be able to interpret the will of the user.  In this case, it's quite
easy to just ask again, instead of going on and creating an account with
data that can potentially contain garbage.

But ultimately, I'll accept any judgement on this: it isn't really a big
deal.


Ciao,

Enrico

-- 
GPG key: 1024D/797EBFAB 2000-12-05 Enrico Zini <enrico@debian.org>

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Message #20 received at 516285@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Stephen Gran <sgran@debian.org>

To: Enrico Zini <enrico@debian.org>

Cc: 516285@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: [Adduser-devel] Bug#516285: It seems to accept anything for 'yes'

Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:12:11 +0000

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

This one time, at band camp, Enrico Zini said:
> On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 01:40:09PM +0000, Stephen Gran wrote:
> > This one time, at band camp, Enrico Zini said:
> > > Is the information correct? [Y/n] p
> > > pico:/# adduser enrico
> > > adduser: The user `enrico' already exists.
> > > pico:/#
> > > Apparently, it was happy to take 'p' for a yes.
> > Since the default is 'yes', the code only looks to see if you've
> > actively negated the action.  I think, while perhaps slightly silly,
> > this is ultimately correct.
> 
> My rationale was that if garbage is detected, then one cannot assume to
> be able to interpret the will of the user.  In this case, it's quite
> easy to just ask again, instead of going on and creating an account with
> data that can potentially contain garbage.

Yeah, I can see that point of view.  I tend to think of adduser as a
program designed to be called from maintainer scripts, and it's
usefulnss to admins is kind of secondary (sort of like update-rc.d or
something).  This has led to lots of places in the code making
assumptions that if you're not actively saying no, we should proceed.

> But ultimately, I'll accept any judgement on this: it isn't really a big
> deal.

Fair enough - I'll think on it and see what Joerg has to say, and go
from there.

Cheers,
-- 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
|   ,''`.                                            Stephen Gran |
|  : :' :                                        sgran@debian.org |
|  `. `'                        Debian user, admin, and developer |
|    `-                                     http://www.debian.org |
 -----------------------------------------------------------------

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Message #25 received at 516285@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Joerg Hoh <joerg@joerghoh.de>

To: 516285@bugs.debian.org

Cc: Enrico Zini <enrico@debian.org>, Stephen Gran <sgran@debian.org>

Subject: Re: [Adduser-devel] Bug#516285: Bug#516285: It seems to accept anything for 'yes'

Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:54:36 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Hi

On Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 12:12:11PM +0000, Stephen Gran wrote:
> > 
> > My rationale was that if garbage is detected, then one cannot assume to
> > be able to interpret the will of the user.  In this case, it's quite
> > easy to just ask again, instead of going on and creating an account with
> > data that can potentially contain garbage.
> 
> Yeah, I can see that point of view.  I tend to think of adduser as a
> program designed to be called from maintainer scripts, and it's
> usefulnss to admins is kind of secondary (sort of like update-rc.d or
> something).  This has led to lots of places in the code making
> assumptions that if you're not actively saying no, we should proceed.

Surprisingly this questions only occurs when you add a "regular" user; in
the codepath which creates system users there is no question like this.

> > But ultimately, I'll accept any judgement on this: it isn't really a big
> > deal.
> 
> Fair enough - I'll think on it and see what Joerg has to say, and go
> from there.

I tend to agree on the point made by Enrico. The change isn't invasive and
does not affect the translations.
But there are several situations that adduser goes into a kind of
interactive mode asking questions.

We should handle all such situations consistently.

Joerg

-- 
What did you do to the cat? It looks half-dead. -Schroedinger's wife

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Message #30 received at 516285@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Marc Haber <mh+debian-packages@zugschlus.de>

To: Joerg Hoh <joerg@joerghoh.de>, 516285@bugs.debian.org, 516285-submitter@bugs.debian.org

Cc: Enrico Zini <enrico@debian.org>, Stephen Gran <sgran@debian.org>

Subject: Re: Bug#516285: [Adduser-devel] Bug#516285: Bug#516285: It seems to accept anything for 'yes'

Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:46:57 +0100

tags #516285 help
thanks

On Sat, Sep 19, 2009 at 09:54:36PM +0200, Joerg Hoh wrote:
> I tend to agree on the point made by Enrico. The change isn't invasive and
> does not affect the translations.
> But there are several situations that adduser goes into a kind of
> interactive mode asking questions.
> 
> We should handle all such situations consistently.

I agree, but looking at the bug list, I think there are more important
things to attend. I would, however, blindly apply a patch submitted by
anybody.

Greetings
Marc

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marc Haber         | "I don't trust Computers. They | Mailadresse im Header
Mannheim, Germany  |  lose things."    Winona Ryder | Fon: *49 621 31958061
Nordisch by Nature |  How to make an American Quilt | Fax: *49 621 31958062

Message #40 received at 516285@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Matt Barry <matt@hazelmollusk.org>

To: 516285@bugs.debian.org

Subject: y/n prompts

Date: Thu, 19 May 2022 22:13:59 -0400

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

tags #516285 patch
thanks

I've created a small patch that may address this issue; merge request
available here:

https://salsa.debian.org/debian/adduser/-/merge_requests/18

Cheers,
Matt

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Message #47 received at 516285@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: matt <matt.barry23@gmail.com>

To: 516285@bugs.debian.org

Subject: pending

Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2022 14:17:19 -0400

tags -1 pending
thanks

Message #52 received at 516285@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Marc Haber <mh+debian-packages@zugschlus.de>

To: Matt Barry <matt@hazelmollusk.org>, 516285@bugs.debian.org, 516285-submitter@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#516285: y/n prompts

Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:12:25 +0200

Control: tags -1 - help patch
thanks

On Thu, May 19, 2022 at 10:13:59PM -0400, Matt Barry wrote:
> I've created a small patch that may address this issue; merge request
> available here:
> 
> https://salsa.debian.org/debian/adduser/-/merge_requests/18

This one got applied and is in adduser 3.129 (currently in testing and
unstable). Enrico, can you please see whether this properly addresses
your issue and whether this bug can be closed as fixed in 3.129? If not,
please give more input.

If no input appears by end of November 2022, I'll interpret this as
"everything is fine" and will close the bug then.

Thanks in advance.

Greetings
Marc

Message #62 received at 516285-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Marc Haber <mh+debian-packages@zugschlus.de>

To: 516285-done@bugs.debian.org, 516285-submitter@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#516285: y/n prompts

Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2022 15:47:06 +0100

Version: 3.129

On Tue, Sep 20, 2022 at 12:12:25PM +0200, Marc Haber wrote:
> If no input appears by end of November 2022, I'll interpret this as
> "everything is fine" and will close the bug then.

Doing so now.

Greetings
Marc

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