Adduser devel - Feb 2008 - Bug#468152: adduser: Parameter --ingroup does not work

Package: adduser
Version: 3.102
Severity: normal

*** Please type your report below this line ***

Parameter --ingroup simply does not work. To test, invoke adduser like this:

  adduser peter --ingroup cdrom

I assume, a "cat /etc/group | grep cdrom" should bring something like
this:

  cdrom:x:24:peter

and not this:

  cdrom:x:24:

If I am wrong, then this is a bugreport for uncomprehensible documentation,
since this says:

  --ingroup GROUP
        Add  the new user to GROUP instead of a usergroup or the default
        group defined by USERS_GID in the adduser.conf file.

And i wonder, what differs "GROUP" from "a usergroup", btw.

With best regards,
Daniel Migowski

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Versions of packages adduser depends on:
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ii  passwd                      1:4.0.18.1-7 change and administer 
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ii  perl-base                   5.8.8-7etch1 The Pathologically Eclectic 
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On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 12:09:46PM +0100, Daniel Migowski
wrote:
> Parameter --ingroup simply does not work. To test, invoke adduser like
this:
> 
>   adduser peter --ingroup cdrom
try

adduser --ingroup cdrom peter

as documented.

Greetings
Marc

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This one time, at band camp, Daniel Migowski said:
> 
> Parameter --ingroup simply does not work. To test, invoke adduser like
this:
> 
>   adduser peter --ingroup cdrom
> 
> I assume, a "cat /etc/group | grep cdrom" should bring something
like this:
> 
>   cdrom:x:24:peter
> 
> and not this:
> 
>   cdrom:x:24:
The --ingroup option affects what the user''s
''primary'' group is - this
information is stored in the passwd file, not the groups file.  So,
getent passwd peter should return that he is in group 24, or cdrom.
> If I am wrong, then this is a bugreport for uncomprehensible documentation,
> since this says:
> 
>   --ingroup GROUP
>         Add  the new user to GROUP instead of a usergroup or the default
>         group defined by USERS_GID in the adduser.conf file.
> 
> And i wonder, what differs "GROUP" from "a usergroup",
btw.
It is sort of an arbitrary way of thinking about it, it''s true.  The
split is:
peter has some admin defined group as primary (cdrom)
peter has a primary group same as username (peter - this is a usergroup)
peter has the same primary group as all other users (group users)

Does that help?  Or do you have a better wording for the documentation?

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

Thank you for your enlightening response.

Stephen Gran schrieb:
> This one time, at band camp, Daniel Migowski said:
>   
>> Parameter --ingroup simply does not work. To test, invoke adduser like
this:
>>
>>   adduser peter --ingroup cdrom
>>
>> I assume, a "cat /etc/group | grep cdrom" should bring
something like this:
>>
>>   cdrom:x:24:peter
>>
>> and not this:
>>
>>   cdrom:x:24:
>>     
>
> The --ingroup option affects what the user''s
''primary'' group is - this
> information is stored in the passwd file, not the groups file.  So,
> getent passwd peter should return that he is in group 24, or cdrom.
>   
This makes sense, and works.
>> If I am wrong, then this is a bugreport for uncomprehensible
documentation,
>> since this says:
>>
>>   --ingroup GROUP
>>         Add  the new user to GROUP instead of a usergroup or the
default
>>         group defined by USERS_GID in the adduser.conf file.
>>
>> And i wonder, what differs "GROUP" from "a
usergroup", btw.
>>     
> It is sort of an arbitrary way of thinking about it, it''s true. 
The
> split is:
> peter has some admin defined group as primary (cdrom)
> peter has a primary group same as username (peter - this is a usergroup)
> peter has the same primary group as all other users (group users)
>
> Does that help?  Or do you have a better wording for the documentation?
>   
It helps. I wasn''t aware of the primary/secondary group concept. And my
try for a better wording of the documentation is this (This is what I 
would have understood better, but I am no linux guru, so if this is too 
obvious its okey for me know.):

Set the new users primary group to GROUP instead of creating a new 
usergroup and using this as the primary group or using the default group 
defined by USERS_DIG in the adduser.conf file. If you just want to add 
the new user to other secondary groups, use "adduser <user>
<group>"
after creating the user.

With best regards,
Daniel Migowski

This one time, at band camp, Daniel Migowski said:
> Hello Stephan,
> 
> Thank you for your enlightening response.
I''m glad it was helpful.
> Stephen Gran schrieb:
> > This one time, at band camp, Daniel Migowski said:
> > > If I am wrong, then this is a bugreport for uncomprehensible
documentation,
> > > since this says:
> > >
> > >   --ingroup GROUP
> > >         Add  the new user to GROUP instead of a usergroup or the
default
> > >         group defined by USERS_GID in the adduser.conf file.
> > >
> > > And i wonder, what differs "GROUP" from "a
usergroup", btw.
> >
> > It is sort of an arbitrary way of thinking about it, it''s
true.  The
> > split is:
> > peter has some admin defined group as primary (cdrom)
> > peter has a primary group same as username (peter - this is a
usergroup)
> > peter has the same primary group as all other users (group users)
> >
> > Does that help?  Or do you have a better wording for the
documentation?
>   
> It helps. I wasn''t aware of the primary/secondary group concept.
And my
> try for a better wording of the documentation is this (This is what I 
> would have understood better, but I am no linux guru, so if this is too 
> obvious its okey for me know.):
> 
> Set the new users primary group to GROUP instead of creating a new 
> usergroup and using this as the primary group or using the default group 
> defined by USERS_DIG in the adduser.conf file. If you just want to add 
> the new user to other secondary groups, use "adduser <user>
<group>"
> after creating the user.
Something like that seems reasonable, I agree.  I will add a note to the
documentation that --ingroup does not add additional groups, it affects
the user''s primary group.  From my point of view, I thought that was
obvious enough not to need to be stated explicitly, but I apparently
have the blinders of having worked with this stuff for too long, and
have to be corrected :)

Thanks for the report,
-- 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
|   ,''''`.                                            Stephen
Gran |
|  : :'' :                                        sgran at debian.org |
|  `. `''                        Debian user, admin, and developer |
|    `-                                     http://www.debian.org |
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
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Your message dated Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:17:03 +0000
with message-id <E1JVro7-00058k-8V at ries.debian.org>
and subject line Bug#468152: fixed in adduser 3.106
has caused the Debian Bug report #468152,
regarding adduser: Parameter --ingroup does not work
to be marked as done.

This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with.
If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the
Bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith.

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-- 
468152: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=468152
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