Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ?

From	Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org>
Newsgroups	linux.debian.user
Subject	Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ?
Date	2021-05-05 03:40 +0200
Message-ID	<CbeG5-1gD-1@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References	<CaWzv-7mv-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <CaYhY-8pZ-5@gated-at.bofh.it> <CaZnI-Av-5@gated-at.bofh.it> <Cbed4-17W-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <CbemJ-1b0-3@gated-at.bofh.it>
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On Wed, May 05, 2021 at 03:11:53AM +0200, Emanuel Berg wrote:
> Kushal Kumaran wrote:
> > The manpage at
> > https://manpages.debian.org/buster/iwatch/iwatch.1.en.html
> > shows log output similar to what you see. Check your iwatch
> > configuration and see what it is doing.
> 
> Thanks, but I've never heard of iwatch, so I haven't mucked
> around with its config file. But OK, here it is
> 
>   <watchlist>
>     <path type="single">/etc</path>

> Does that say anything to you?

It says that it's watching /etc.  Which is where your file is.  No
surprises here so far.

What you really should be asking is, "What process is using this file,
and why don't I know about it?"

Googling for the file name turns up this:

https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2005/07/msg02949.html

  The lckpwdf() and ulckpwdf() functions enable modification access to the
  password databases through the lock file. A process first uses lckpwdf() to
  lock the lock file, thereby gaining exclusive rights to modify the
  /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow password database. (See "passwd"  and "shadow" man
  pages.)

  Upon completing modifications, a process should release the lock on the lock
  file using ulckpwdf(). This mechanism prevents simultaneous modification of
  the password databases. The lock file, /etc/.pwd.lock, is used to coordinate
  modification access to the password databases /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow.

So, as one might expect just from the file name, it's a lock file for
the passwd file.

Again, the real question is: What process is touching your passwd file
at this time, and why don't you know about it?

Thread

repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-04 08:20 +0200
  Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Darac Marjal <mailinglist@darac.org.uk> - 2021-05-04 10:10 +0200
    Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-04 10:20 +0200
    Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-04 11:20 +0200
      Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-05 00:50 +0200
      Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Kushal Kumaran <kushal@locationd.net> - 2021-05-05 03:10 +0200
        Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-05 03:20 +0200
          Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-05-05 03:40 +0200
          Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-05 04:40 +0200
          Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-05-05 04:40 +0200
            Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-05 04:50 +0200
              Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-05-05 05:10 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-05 05:20 +0200
            Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-05-05 13:30 +0200
              Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-05 16:00 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Jonathan Dowland <jon+debian-user@dow.land> - 2021-05-08 09:30 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-09 05:10 +0200
              Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-05-05 17:40 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-05 18:00 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-05-05 18:10 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-05 21:30 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-05-06 05:30 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Charles Curley <charlescurley@charlescurley.com> - 2021-05-06 04:50 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? davidson <davidson@freevolt.org> - 2021-05-06 16:00 +0200
                OT: dotfile generalities (was Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock  ?) davidson <davidson@freevolt.org> - 2021-05-06 16:40 +0200
                Re: OT: dotfile generalities (was Re: repeated system mail,  /etc/.pwd.lock ?) Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-05-06 16:50 +0200
                Re: OT: dotfile generalities (was Re: repeated system mail,  /etc/.pwd.lock ?) David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-05-07 06:30 +0200
                Re: OT: dotfile generalities (was Re: repeated system mail,  /etc/.pwd.lock ?) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-05-07 09:40 +0200
                Re: OT: dotfile generalities (was Re: repeated system mail,  /etc/.pwd.lock ?) Tixy <tixy@yxit.co.uk> - 2021-05-07 10:50 +0200
                Re: OT: dotfile generalities (was Re: repeated system mail,  /etc/.pwd.lock ?) <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-05-07 11:20 +0200
              Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-05-09 06:20 +0200
                Re: repeated system mail, /etc/.pwd.lock ? Emanuel Berg <moasenwood@zoho.eu> - 2021-05-09 12:00 +0200

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