Solve : userdel, chown problem.?

1.	Solve : userdel, chown problem.?
Answer» Hi, I have COME across a problem on my server. I am trying to delete an old user (samj), and create a new one (supersam). I cannot delete the old user as; userdel: error deleting password entry userdel: error deleting shadow password entry userdel: /home/.sites/143/site2/.users/78/samj not owned by samj, not removing I know where the files are that "samj" owns, but chown doesn't work properly when I TRY to change it to the user "supersam"; Report bugs to <[emailprotected]&GT;. [root web]# chown -R supersam chown: too few arguments Can anybody help?Do you have adminstrative access to this server? Are you able to edit the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files themselves? Have you a "deluser" program in addition to the "userdel" program? If so, try that instead. Also consider using any user MANAGEMENT GUI program that may have come with your system. Is it a Linux distribution? If so, which one?Quote [root web]# chown -R supersam root? So thats root access. Its a Sun Cobalt RaQ 550, running RaQ 550 OS, based on RH9.How about my other questions?I don't know how to do that :\. I have only been using linux around a month - plus I'm 14...Okay. Firstly I'd recommend installing a text editor that is not too difficult to use for a Linux newcomer. "joe" is a good choice. I'm assuming that since you've got this far, you know how to use the package management system? Otherwise, you're stuck with vi or emacs, both of which can be quite tricky to learn. If that's your lot, then try "man vi" to start learning how to use vi (a text editor). Once you're up to speed, you can then "vi /etc/passwd" and "vi /etc/shadow". Just delete the lines containing the user you want to remove. Or alternatively, change the username to the new username.

Answer»

Hi, I have COME across a problem on my server. I am trying to delete an old user (samj), and create a new one (supersam). I cannot delete the old user as;
userdel: error deleting password entry
userdel: error deleting shadow password entry
userdel: /home/.sites/143/site2/.users/78/samj not owned by samj, not removing

I know where the files are that "samj" owns, but chown doesn't work properly when I TRY to change it to the user "supersam";

Report bugs to <[emailprotected]&GT;.
[root web]# chown -R supersam
chown: too few arguments

Can anybody help?Do you have adminstrative access to this server? Are you able to edit the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files themselves? Have you a "deluser" program in addition to the "userdel" program? If so, try that instead. Also consider using any user MANAGEMENT GUI program that may have come with your system.

Is it a Linux distribution? If so, which one?Quote

[root web]# chown -R supersam

root? So thats root access. Its a Sun Cobalt RaQ 550, running RaQ 550 OS, based on RH9.How about my other questions?I don't know how to do that :\.

I have only been using linux around a month - plus I'm 14...Okay.

Firstly I'd recommend installing a text editor that is not too difficult to use for a Linux newcomer. "joe" is a good choice. I'm assuming that since you've got this far, you know how to use the package management system?

Otherwise, you're stuck with vi or emacs, both of which can be quite tricky to learn. If that's your lot, then try "man vi" to start learning how to use vi (a text editor). Once you're up to speed, you can then "vi /etc/passwd" and "vi /etc/shadow". Just delete the lines containing the user you want to remove. Or alternatively, change the username to the new username.

Solve : userdel, chown problem.?

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