What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

ThinkPad · 2021-09-24 15:46:40

Backstory:
I really goofed and F'd my system by merging a very old shadow.pacnew that effectively reset my shadow file, resulting in me getting locked out of my system.

This post, especially eschwartz helped me tremendously to understand my wrongdoing. What really saved me though was mention of /etc/shadow-.

Who creates these files?

I use pacfiles-mode to resolve these conflicts.

Revelations:
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 1#p1821111
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 6#p1904656

Solution for posterity:
I sideloaded my filesystem from a live usb:

# mount /your/fs/partition/or/vg /mnt/os

and copied the backup `-` file onto the original:

# cp /mnt/os/etc/shadow- /mnt/os/etc/shadow

Trilby · 2021-09-24 16:51:56

Your question strikes me as oddly worded. The /etc/shadow file is owned by the core/filesystem package, but /etc/shadow- is not own by any package. It is also not created by any package, but it can be created or modified by a range of binaries. The binaries typically used that can create / modify this file all belong to the package core/shadow.

Awebb · 2021-09-25 05:56:59

I googled for "/etc/shadow- dash" and the first result told me to look up man 5 shadow and man 5 passwd. Short answer: Those are backups.

ThinkPad · 2021-09-28 19:21:28

Thank you @Awebb. Yes I understand it is a backup, but created by who?

ThinkPad · 2021-09-28 19:23:41

Trilby wrote:

Your question strikes me as oddly worded.

Yes I see that now. What might've helped was specifying "Who creates these backup files" and "...resolve pacnew conflicts".

seth · 2021-09-28 19:40:32

ThinkPad wrote:

Thank you @Awebb. Yes I understand it is a backup, but created by who?

https://man.archlinux.org/man/shadow.5.en
/etc/shadow-
Backup file for /etc/shadow.
Note that this file is used by the tools of the shadow toolsuite, but not by all user and password management tools.

Last edited by seth (2021-10-12 22:08:01)

ThinkPad · 2021-10-12 22:05:47

Seth, I'm getting a 404 error.

seth · 2021-10-12 22:08:52

Copy and püaste ate it … fixed now.

Awebb · 2021-10-13 07:53:54

As I said, man 5 shadow and man 5 passwd. Are you familiar with man pages? If not, look up "man page" in our local wiki.

Arch Linux

#1 2021-09-24 15:46:40

What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

#2 2021-09-24 16:51:56

Re: What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

#3 2021-09-25 05:56:59

Re: What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

#4 2021-09-28 19:21:28

Re: What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

#5 2021-09-28 19:23:41

Re: What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

#6 2021-09-28 19:40:32

Re: What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

#7 2021-10-12 22:05:47

Re: What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

#8 2021-10-12 22:08:52

Re: What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

#9 2021-10-13 07:53:54

Re: What package makes files ending in `-` (e.g. /etc/shadow-)

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