Cron Authentication Problem [RESOLVED]

[fdamstra]

After I 'emerge -u world' this morning, Vixie-Cron won't run jobs as other users. That is, in /etc/crontab I have a line:

Code: Select all

*/5 * * * * apache  php /var/www/localhost/htdocs/cacti/poller.php

Which should run poller as the 'apache' user.

In /var/log/messages, I see the line:

Jul 19 09:20:01 src@monitor02 cron[19225]: Authentication service cannot retrieve authentication info.

This seems suspiciously similar to the "can't su root" problem, except that I can su to root. Today's updates included packages 'pam', 'pam-login', and 'shadow'; and that's where my suspicions lie, but I can't figure out the problem.

I've unmerged and remerged vixie-cron, and am going to reemerge the three packages above, though I don't expect this to help.

Any other ideas?

[fdamstra]

Thanks to a related thread regarding postfix, I found the solution. The 'shadow' package apparently stomped /etc/shadow.

Running 'pwconv' rebuilt /etc/shadow with all the daemon users, and it appears to be working now.

[Deathwing00]

Can you post the exact thread please? I guess others might also want to have a look at it.

[mirmillo]

This fixed it for me too. Although I don't recall updating Shadow recently.

Thanks!

[fdamstra]

Can you post the exact thread please? I guess others might also want to have a look at it. :)

I believe this is the thread. postgres, not postfix, my bad.

[Deathwing00]

Can you post the exact thread please? I guess others might also want to have a look at it.

I believe this is the thread. postgres, not postfix, my bad.

Moved to Duplicate Threads.