> >----- Forwarded message from Alexander Gattin > ... > >I propose to use `useradd -O PASS_MAX_DAYS=99999` > >instead and from my side going to update useradd's > >manpage (see bug #304934). > > We should consider the following things: > 1. depending on -O will require versioned "depends:" > 2. depending on "special" chage exitcode will result in > the same > 3. there are actually 3rd way out: > you just should check whether /etc/shadow exists, > and if no, chage will surely fail, because pwd ageing > information is contained in shadow only, not in > passwd.
Marc Haber explained on IRC that the "-O" option adds a problem to backport (on the other hand, this -O option actually exists since a long time). As, in the same time, changing chage to have a special errorlevel does not harm a lot and is judged by Marc as more pratical to use for hime, I hereby decide that we will go that way. So, what must be done: -someone has to produce a patch to add a special errorlevel for chage when shadow passwords ar enot used -this patch has to be "ported" for upstream shadow -it should be proposed upstream -whatever upstream decides, we will use this patch in Debian, either as a Debian-only patch, or as a temporary patch against the old upstream version -we upload a fixed version as soon as possible to give Marc a possible solution for his own bug report The key point, then, becomes : write down the patch. Nicolas or Alexander, you seem to be the people who actually can do it. Would one of you try this?
