SOLVED: cannot login after Cauldron updates

[jaywalker]

I know what I did, I think, but I have no idea how to fix it.

One of the last updates was something called setup and it prompted me to accept or reject two of the updated files. I accepted them. I figured that this would be safe enough as it was an option and there was no specific warning about what dire consequences acceptance might bring. Besides, I knew from Mandriva days how to boot to single user and fix any fundamental breakages, but I must be mis-remembering because it still wants me to enter a root password which it has changed from the one I set on installation.

So if anyone knows how to fix this I would be pleased to hear. If not it is no great problem as it is a test system in a VM and I can start again from scratch. However, I would like to know how to choose the correct action when faced with a choice of updating these setup files again...

R

[benmc]

you might take a look here : viewtopic.php?f=41&t=6346.
2nd entry

regarding the updates, I haven't met this yet, thanks for the heads up.

regards

Benmc

[jkerr82508]

IIRC the latest update to setup has replaced /etc/shadow, which contains the passwords. However, I think it also replaced /etc/fstab. It may be possible to fix the latter by running an upgrade install using the classical installer. For cauldron launch the installer using the boot.iso, which is available on the mirrors in the cauldron /install/images directory for your arch.
https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Boot.iso_install

It is usually best to refuse to allow a package update to replace configuration files. (You will always be asked before it does so.) This is especially so with the setup package which creates some essential system files.

Jim

[jaywalker]

It is usually best to refuse to allow a package update to replace configuration files. (You will always be asked before it does so.) This is especially so with the setup package which creates some essential system files.

Jim

I wish I had followed that long-ago-learned advice myself now. In my defence, It was late at night and I was struggling to read the feint text in the displayed diff as represented on the reduced size display of the VM, without my glasses and with some judicious squinting through half-closed eyelids, and then I just convinced myself it would be OK.

I'm afraid my ignorance of the purpose of shadow files and my stupid reliance on interpreting the possible function of unrecognised files by inferring from the plain english meaning of words is just plain stupid. I blame the generally accepted myth that the language of Linux is english. It might look that way to those who have not learned the language at their mother's knee, but that's a completely separate and irrelevant discussion. It is what it is and heaven help you if you forget that there are many languages which people carelessly call English.

R