Problem changing local root password

[Herta Van den Eynde]

It's been ages, but if memory serves, using shadow passwords along with 
NIS tended to be problematic.

If you do use a shadow password file, you can use pwunconv to generate a 
proper password file from it.  (You can recreate the shadow file 
afterwards by means of the pwconv command.)

If that still doesn't resolve te issue, try prepending the root record 
in the passwd file by a + sign.

Kind regards,

Herta

Russell Harrison wrote:
> It could be a problem with shadow passwords?  Verify you have the correct
> version of shadow-utils installed.  Thats just a shot in the dark, BTW.
> 
> On 3/16/06, Lunt, Nick <Nick.Lunt at wesleyan.co.uk> wrote:
> 
>>I'm as stuck as you are now then Andrew :)
>>
>>Anyone else got any ideas ?
>>
>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Andrew.Bridgeman at corusgroup.com
>>>[mailto:Andrew.Bridgeman at corusgroup.com]
>>>Sent: 16 March 2006 14:28
>>>To: General Red Hat Linux discussion list
>>>Subject: RE: Problem changing local root password
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Yes, the root user is in the passwd file on the machine i am
>>>logging into.
>>>Unfortunately i cannot see the -N option when i do a man on
>>>passwd either.
>>>
>>>Regards
>>>
>>>[IMAGE]
>>>|+--------------------------+---------------------------------
>>>------------|
>>>||   "Lunt, Nick"           |
>>>            |
>>>||   <Nick.Lunt at wesleyan.co.|   To: "General
>>>Red Hat Linux |
>>>||   uk>                    |   discussion list"
>>><redhat-list at redhat.com> |
>>>||   Sent by:               |   cc:
>>>            |
>>>||   redhat-list-bounces at red|   Subject: RE:
>>>Problem       |
>>>||   hat.com                |   changing local root password
>>>            |
>>>||                          |
>>>            |
>>>||   16/03/2006 14:15       |
>>>            |
>>>||   Please respond to      |
>>>            |
>>>||   General Red Hat Linux  |
>>>            |
>>>||   discussion list        |
>>>            |
>>>||                          |
>>>            |
>>>|+--------------------------+---------------------------------
>>>------------|
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Hi Andrew,
>>>
>>>if your sure that's it's not a NIS problem then I dont know
>>>what it could
>>>be.
>>>Is the root user in the passwd file on the host your logged onto ?
>>>
>>>The passwd command used to have a -N option which is not
>>>available in my
>>>RHEL4 boxes, but it may be on your WS3 box.
>>>
>>>Good luck,
>>>Nick .
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>From: Andrew.Bridgeman at corusgroup.com
>>>>[mailto:Andrew.Bridgeman at corusgroup.com]
>>>>Sent: 16 March 2006 14:09
>>>>To: General Red Hat Linux discussion list
>>>>Subject: RE: Problem changing local root password
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Hi Nick,
>>>>
>>>>There is a root user in the NIS database, The Sun system that
>>>>is the NIS
>>>>server creates this entry when the tables are updated.
>>>>But in /etc/nsswitch.conf on the linux system the order of
>>>>the lookup is
>>>>configured as FILES first, then NIS
>>>>When on the linux system i cd into the homefolder of root
>>>>(using cd ~) it
>>>>goes to /root and not / as the root user in NIS has.
>>>>
>>>>All this is as it should be, the only thing not working right
>>>>is changing
>>>>root's local password.
>>>>
>>>>Regards
>>>>
>>>>Andrew Bridgeman
>>>>|+--------------------------+---------------------------------
>>>>------------|
>>>>|| "Lunt, Nick" |
>>>>|
>>>>|| <Nick.Lunt at wesleyan.co.| To: "General
>>>>Red Hat Linux |
>>>>|| uk> | discussion list"
>>>><redhat-list at redhat.com> |
>>>>|| Sent by: | cc:
>>>>|
>>>>|| redhat-list-bounces at red| Subject: RE:
>>>>Problem |
>>>>|| hat.com | changing local root password
>>>>|
>>>>|| |
>>>>|
>>>>|| 16/03/2006 13:43 |
>>>>|
>>>>|| Please respond to |
>>>>|
>>>>|| General Red Hat Linux |
>>>>|
>>>>|| discussion list |
>>>>|
>>>>|| |
>>>>|
>>>>|+--------------------------+---------------------------------
>>>>------------|
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Hi Andrew,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>From: Andrew.Bridgeman at corusgroup.com
>>>>
>>>>>We are currently trying to change the local root password
>>>>
>>>>on 40 Linux
>>>>
>>>>>Redhat WS Version 3 machines but we keep getting the error
>>>>
>>>>below. Can
>>>>
>>>>>anyone help with this? Has anyone seen this before?
>>>>>
>>>>>[root at linux etc]# passwd
>>>>>Changing password for user root.
>>>>>New password:
>>>>>Retype new password:
>>>>>RPC: Can't encode arguments
>>>>>The password has not been changed on sunnisserver.
>>>>>passwd: Failed preliminary check by password service
>>>>>[root at linux etc]#
>>>>
>>>>Im guessing here, but have you set the root user to use NIS ?
>>>>Try yppasswd if so.
>>>>
>>>>That's about all I can offer I'm afraid,
>>>>Nick .

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