Can't able to create user with DOTS in their name?

[Ed Wilts]

On Mon, Mar 07, 2005 at 07:18:50AM -0500, Mike Burger wrote:
> Navneet:
> 
> You're really better off not using usernames with . in them, anyhow.  You 
> can just as easily set up aliases for their email.

That's true but he may also be using that old server currently for pop or
imap.  Then he needs to figure out how to migrate to a new server yet
not have his users need to update all their clients.  uw-imapd doesn't
have a local user database - it just uses pam - so that's not a option.
I haven't looked at dovecot or one of the other pop/imap servers to see
if that will help him.

It's the initial migration that has the issues - not setting up new
users.

It's also important to note that newer distributions don't allow
uppercase letters in usernames either.  Duplicating the passwd and group
entries from an older release works fine though.

        .../Ed

> 
> On Mon, 7 Mar 2005, Navneet Choudhary wrote:
> 
> > On Mon, 7 Mar 2005 10:25:25 +0800, Zhang Lei <zhl at nanjing-fnst.com> wrote:
> > > if you may use "root"
> > > you may chang the files "/etc/passwd" and "/etc/shadow"
> > > in "/etc/passwd" add  a line as:
> > >     "nav.neet:x:your uid:your gid::your home dir:/bin/bash"
> > > in "/etc/shadow" copy a line from other user's,chang the user name,such as:
> > >     "nav.neet:$1$0e54yM5Z$trZCrRWBEG9qx.jZWZptR1:12849:0:99999:7:::"
> > > 
> > > save the change,then use "[root at L-tech root]passwd  nav.neet"
> > > you can change the password for nav.neet
> > 
> > i don't want to manually edit /etc/password, /etc/shadow & /etc/group
> > file for adding user.
> > 
> > Since, this server will be used as Mail Server (as i already mentioned
> > in my original mail),this tweak simple not feasible for me.
> > 
> > any way thanks for your help.
> > 
> > 
> > Regards,
> > Navneet
> > 
> > 
> > > Regards
> > > Zhang Lei
> > > 
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Navneet Choudhary" <navneetkc at gmail.com>
> > > To: <redhat-list at redhat.com>
> > > Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 9:02 PM
> > > Subject: Can't able to create user with DOTS in their name?
> > > 
> > > > hi list,
> > > >
> > > >  I can't able to create users having decimal point(s) in their name.
> > > > i.e nav.neet
> > > > Notice: decimal point between nav & neet.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > #useradd nav.neet
> > > > userdd: invalid user name 'nav.neet'
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Since, this server will be used as Mail Server & my existing mail
> > > > server (qmail on Redhat 6.2) supports DOTs in user name.Due to this
> > > > problem, i export users from my existing server to  new server.
> > > > So, no upgradation mail  !!!.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > OS used/tested:
> > > > Redhat 9
> > > > Fedora Core 1,2 & 3
> > > >
> > > > OS that supports DOTs in user name:
> > > > Redhat 6.2.7.2 & 7.3
> > > >
> > > > Tested by others(successfully):
> > > > HP-UX,Solaris & Debian Woody
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Any help on this regards?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Thanks in advance.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Navneet
> > > >
> > > > --
> -- 
> Mike Burger
> http://www.bubbanfriends.org

-- 
Ed Wilts, RHCE
Mounds View, MN, USA
mailto:ewilts at ewilts.org
Member #1, Red Hat Community Ambassador Program