[Solved] Debian apt installation/upgrade: configuration error - unknown item 'NONEXISTENT' (notify administrator)

[postcd]

Hello,

during Debian 11 (with IIRC latest 5.x kernel) to Debian 12 apt update/upgrade/dist-upgrade, I have noticed:

Setting up udev (252.30-1~deb12u2) ...
configuration error - unknown item 'NONEXISTENT' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PREVENT_NO_AUTH' (notify administrator)

...

Setting up openssh-client (1:9.2p1-2+deb12u3) ...
configuration error - unknown item 'NONEXISTENT' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PREVENT_NO_AUTH' (notify administrator)

if this is my failure, please how to fix it? Or if it is a Debian failure, was this already reported and which data I need to supply, please?

[Aki]

Hello,

during Debian 11 (with IIRC latest 5.x kernel) to Debian 12 apt update/upgrade/dist-upgrade, I have noticed:

Setting up udev (252.30-1~deb12u2) ...
configuration error - unknown item 'NONEXISTENT' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PREVENT_NO_AUTH' (notify administrator)
...
Setting up openssh-client (1:9.2p1-2+deb12u3) ...
configuration error - unknown item 'NONEXISTENT' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PREVENT_NO_AUTH' (notify administrator)

if this is my failure, please how to fix it?

The error messages:

Code: Select all

configuration error - unknown item 'NONEXISTENT' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PREVENT_NO_AUTH' (notify administrator)

are generated by the pwck program [1] from the passwd package [2]:

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# strings /usr/sbin/pwck | grep admin
configuration error - unknown item '%s' (notify administrator)

at the following position in the source code:

• sources / shadow / 1:4.16.0-4 / lib / getdef.c at line 434

The program checks if known configuration items are defined in a configuration file (perhaps /etc/login.defs, I assume) comparing them to a list of known configuration items (hard coded in the program itself).

The error messages are probably caused by an not updated pwck program (after a Debian release upgrade) which is unaware of some configuration items or by some unknown configuration items in the configuration files.

As reference, the allowed configuration items in /etc/login.defs can be found here [3].

You can replicate the error with:

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# pwck --read-only

Check what is the pwck version with:

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# apt list passwd

Hope this helps. Please let me know.

--
[1] pwck manual page
[2] passwd
[3] login.defs.5 manual page

[postcd]

probably caused by an not updated pwck program (after a Debian release upgrade)

Currently I am up to date according to apt update/upgrade/purge/autopurge and at kernel 6.1.0-26-amd64.

allowed configuration items in /etc/login.defs can be found here [3].

I have not modified this file, it contains these lines if anyone is interested.

You can replicate the error with:

Code: Select all

# pwck --read-only

$ sudo pwck --read-only

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[sudo] password for user: 
user 'lp': directory '/var/spool/lpd' does not exist
user 'news': directory '/var/spool/news' does not exist
user 'uucp': directory '/var/spool/uucp' does not exist
user 'list': directory '/var/list' does not exist
user 'irc': directory '/run/ircd' does not exist
user 'gnats': directory '/var/lib/gnats' does not exist
pwck: no changes

Check what is the pwck version with:

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# apt list passwd

$ apt list passwd

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passwd/stable,now 1:4.13+dfsg1-1+b1 amd64 [installed]
passwd/stable 1:4.13+dfsg1-1+b1 i386

"passwd is already the newest version (1:4.13+dfsg1-1+b1)."

[Aki]

The error messages disappeared due to the upgrade of the passwd package.