[SOLVED] F9: Manually editing passwd/group files causes rebooting to freeze up after udev....

[Bill Davidsen]

Dan Thurman wrote:
> Dan Thurman wrote:
>> Dan Thurman wrote:
>>> Dan Thurman wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I was manually changing the /etc/passwd and /etc/group
>>>> file since my users were incorrectly assigned UID/GIDs,
>>>> I manually corrected the UID/GID in /home for each user,
>>>> rebooted and noticed that I would get a hang just after
>>>> udev.
>>>>
>>>> I tried ^D and noticed that something complaining
>>>> about /var/run/anacron was not removable and that
>>>> user anacron did not exist, and the system would then
>>>> shutdown and reboot.
>>>>
>>>> On rebooting, I stopped grub and added -s and single
>>>> user boot was successful.
>>>>
>>>> In single user, I checked what I could and finding nothing,
>>>> and proceeded with ^D and noticed several things:
>>>>
>>>> 1) There was a message to the effect that several important
>>>>    users (root, anacron, and others) was not able to be retrieved
>>>>    from dbus's database.  The message appears too fast for me
>>>>    to write it all down exactly.
>>>>
>>>> 2) Repeated messages of: "Unknown username "root" in message
>>>>     bus configuration file, for each important users.
>>>>
>>>> Is there some way to repair the dbus database?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks!
>>>> Dan
>>>>
>>> I forgot to add:
>>>
>>> 3) The system fails to start dbus, anacron, and a couple of other
>>>    services but continues on to the text login prompt.  Attempts
>>>    login as root or any normal user will fail.
>>>
>>> Dan
>>>
>> Um... interesting....
>>
>> When I added selinix=0 to the grub command line for the kernel,
>> I was able to get my qui and logins to work....  seems there is
>> something going on with SELinux and dbus....
>>
>> Can someone help me fix this issue?
>>
>> Should I remove and reinstall SELinux/DBUS?  I will wait
>> until I get advice here before attempting this step....
>>
>> Thanks again,
>> Dan
>>
> Ok, I solved this problem but it is interesting to note...
> 
> 1) Boot in single user mode
> 2) touch /.autorelabel
> 3) reboot
> 4) When grub comes up, stop and edit the kernel line and add -s (single 
> user mode)
> 5) Booting in single user mode ensures that selinux will be able to relabel
>    the files.  If you do not boot in single user mode, then normal booting
>    will not allow selinx to work and to relabel these files!
> 
Just as a note, I have never had to boot in single user mode to get a relabel so 
I think your particular problem is that the "regular" boot just flat-out was 
hanging and not doing relabel along with the many other things.

My recollection is that when shadow passwords were first invented (was that Eric 
Raymond?) vigr and vipw followed in a very short time.

Question for selinux gurus, would relabel run if the kernel had been booted with 
selinux=0 specified?

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot