Very Computer

Ordinary users cannot change their passwords on the our Slackware 2.0.1
system. All of the packages in the a and n series were installed,
including, if i remember, the agetty package.

We lost the root password, and had to use the rescue disk to get in,
but these errors leave me bewildered. Should we reinstall ?

vimy:~$ passwd
Enter old password:
Enter new password:
Re-type new password:
Can't open /etc/ptmp, can't update password

Script started on Wed Oct 12 12:25:19 1994
vimy:~$ id
uid=405(gelinas) gid=1(bin) groups=1(bin),100(users)
vimy:~$ uname -a
Linux vimy 1.0.9 #3 Tue Sep 13 04:45:23 CDT 1994 i486
vimy:~$ passwd
Can't find username in password file?!
vimy:~$ exit
exit
Script done on Wed Oct 12 12:25:45 1994

--

Colle`ge Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean,
Que'bec, Canada, J0J 1R0.

: Ordinary users cannot change their passwords on the our Slackware 2.0.1
: system. All of the packages in the a and n series were installed,
: including, if i remember, the agetty package.
:
: We lost the root password, and had to use the rescue disk to get in,
: but these errors leave me bewildered. Should we reinstall ?
:
:
: vimy:~$ passwd
: Enter old password:
: Enter new password:
: Re-type new password:
: Can't open /etc/ptmp, can't update password
:

This passwd problem is caused by (I think) an incorrect permissions
setting in the slackware distribution.
You can correct it by typing:

chmod 4755 /bin/passwd

(you must be root to do this)

I never got the errors below, but perhaps they are caused by the same

posting this solution.

:
: Script started on Wed Oct 12 12:25:19 1994
: vimy:~$ id
: uid=405(gelinas) gid=1(bin) groups=1(bin),100(users)
: vimy:~$ uname -a
: Linux vimy 1.0.9 #3 Tue Sep 13 04:45:23 CDT 1994 i486
: vimy:~$ passwd
: Can't find username in password file?!
: vimy:~$ exit
: exit
: Script done on Wed Oct 12 12:25:45 1994
:
:
: --

: Colle`ge Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean,
: Que'bec, Canada, J0J 1R0.