# passwd issues



## Sparkee (Nov 12, 2013)

I have a weird issue, I can't change my password with passwd. It shows that everything went fine but in fact it isn't.


```
user@bsd:/home/user % passwd
Changing local password for user
Old Password:
New Password:
Retype New Password:
user@bsd:/home/user %
```

Do you have any idea why or what should I try?


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## Anonymous (Nov 12, 2013)

Does the system log /var/log/messages report something about the issue?

Sometimes it happens that the passwd databases become out of synch. For repairing it, you could try:

`# pwd_mkdb -p /etc/master.passwd`

However, I cannot guarantee, that this fixes your issue.


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## Sparkee (Nov 12, 2013)

Yep, it worked!

Thank you!



			
				rolfheinrich said:
			
		

> Does the system log /var/log/messages report something about the issue?
> 
> Sometimes it happens that the passwd databases become out of synch. For repairing it, you could try:
> 
> ...


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## michaelmichael (Mar 9, 2014)

I have experienced that issue too. However, it was possible to change the root password, but not the one for a normal user (which I use to login remotely). Also, the solution proposed by @rolfheinrich solved the issue: `# pwd_mkdb -p /etc/master.passwd`. I have to mention that this happened after an upgrade from 9.2 to 10.0 (amd64) -RELEASE and some automated mail from the server stated a database mismatch. I cant find that mail though.


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## freethread (Mar 9, 2014)

It happens on 9.2-RELEASE too (two VMs before upgrading one to 10.0-RELEASE and the server still 9.2-RELEASE), maybe a security patch.


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## fonz (Mar 9, 2014)

freethread said:
			
		

> It happens on 9.2-RELEASE too (two VMs before upgrading one to 10.0-RELEASE and the server still 9.2-RELEASE), maybe a security patch.


Was that on an unpatched 9.2-RELEASE system? I tested it with 9.2-RELEASE*-p3*/amd64 and cannot reproduce it, so I suspect it was fixed in one of the updates.


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## freethread (Mar 9, 2014)

Unfortunately I don't remember when it happened. I can say from the two last weeks of October 2013 to the first two weeks of November 2013, but I'm not sure. I update FreeBSD as soon as possible with freebsd-update, when I receive the system security mail (weekly check for security patches in cron). Maximum two weeks after the patch is available (one week maximum lost before the mail and I patch systems in the next week).

However if there is a way of knowing when I watched this thread (admins), then that was the period.


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## noodlefling (Nov 9, 2014)

This happened to me as well.  I didn't notice the problem immediately, but I have to figure it was the result of doing a freebsd-update from 9.2-RELEASE to 9.3-RELEASE.

I solved the problem perhaps less elegantly, by going into vipw, modifying a line and then putting it back as it was, and saving.  This seems to have had the same result and rebuilt the database.

My mind was completely blown as I would use passwd to change a password, going so far as to cut and paste it so I couldn't possibly be making any errors, then immediately trying to log in with that username and failing.  I suppose rebuilding the database is the equivalent of "Did you try turning it off and turning it back on again?".


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## SirDice (Nov 10, 2014)

I get the same issue from time to time. Not yet sure what's causing it. It doesn't seem to be related to freebsd-update(8) as it happens on systems that have been running for a while. For some reason the database gets out of sync with passwd.


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