# Login for user doesn't work anymore



## alexsc13 (Feb 1, 2011)

I did just install amavisd-new and Clamav plus all the related ports. Then all of a sudden I could not retrieve my emails anymore. I was searching for an hour for possible problems when I noticed that `su - alex` (alex is the username) doesn't work anymore.

The user is still in /etc/passwd and in /etc/master.passwd and I can also not just add it again with adduser.

What happened there and more important, how can I fix it? Thank you.


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## wblock@ (Feb 1, 2011)

Please show exactly what error messages appeared when you tried to log in or su to that user.  Bits are cheap, use plenty.


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## alexsc13 (Feb 1, 2011)

The message I get is:


```
su: unknown login: alex
```

The owner of the home directory got changed to:


```
drwxr-xr-x   4 1002    alex    512 Jan 30 23:32 alex
```

Which matches with the entry from passwd:


```
alex:*:1002:1002:User &:/home/alex:/usr/local/bin/bash
```


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## alexsc13 (Feb 1, 2011)

Well I could not delete the user alex either so I removed the user manually from passwd and master.passwd and was then able to add it again. The new added user also restored all permissions for /home/alex and now it is working again.

I still do not understand though why installing Spamassassin from the ports corrupts a user login.


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