[arch-general] dbus update - /etc/passwd merge question

[Robbie Smith]

On 07/12/12 03:59, Daniel Micay wrote:
> You can use vipw and vigr to safely edit the passwd and group files with
> your editor of choice, and make the changes (or use the cli utilities
> instead). There's no need to manually edit shadow/gshadow, you can update
> them by running pwconv and grpconv which will generate them by merging
> passwd with the current shadow, and group with the current gshadow.
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 11:55 AM, mike cloaked <mike.cloaked at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Having read the available postings in arch-dev-public as well as those on
>> this subject in the arch forums I am somewhat confused as to how to
>> complete the merge for /etc/passwd /etc/shadow /etc/group and /etc/gshadow
>> for the new entries in the .pacnew files.
>>
>> For example in my old /etc/passwd I have the line:
>> dbus:x:81:81:System message bus:/:/bin/false
>>
>> and in the pacnew file I have:
>> dbus:x:81:81:dbus:/:/sbin/nologin
>>
>> Should I put the line from the .pacnew file into the old file?
>>
>> Also for uidd I have in the original:
>> uuidd:x:999:999::/:/sbin/nologin
>>
>> but in the pacnew file it is:
>> uuidd:x:68:68:uuidd:/:/sbin/nologin
>>
>> Should I change the uid in the original file to 68 - and do the same in the
>> corresponding entries for shadow, group and gshadow?
>>
>> I am an old linux user and usually I can sort things out after an upgrade
>> but this time I am really confused.
>>
>> Any expert advice very much appreciated - thanks.
>>
>> --
>> mike c
>>
vipw and vigr don't seem to do anything for me. It doesn't matter what 
changes I make, they both report that nothing was changed.

# vipw
(Makes changes in $EDITOR, writes and quits)
vipw: no changes made
vipw: /etc/passwd unchanged

?