Adduser devel - Feb 2009 - Bug#516285: It seems to accept anything for 'yes'

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

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 at debian.org |
|  `. `''                        Debian user, admin, and developer |
|    `-                                     http://www.debian.org |
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
Url :
http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/adduser-devel/attachments/20090220/3eb894d5/attachment.pgp

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 at debian.org>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 835 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
Url :
http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/adduser-devel/attachments/20090220/d4455268/attachment.pgp

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 at debian.org |
|  `. `''                        Debian user, admin, and developer |
|    `-                                     http://www.debian.org |
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
Url :
http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/adduser-devel/attachments/20090221/8e17ab6e/attachment.pgp

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
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: not available
URL:
<http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/adduser-devel/attachments/20090919/41d7f48c/attachment.pgp>

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

Processing commands for control at bugs.debian.org:
> tags #516285 help
Bug #516285 [adduser] It seems to accept anything for ''yes''
Added tag(s) help.
> thanks
Stopping processing here.

Please contact me if you need assistance.
-- 
516285: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=516285
Debian Bug Tracking System
Contact owner at bugs.debian.org with problems