Re: Setting password for database user on Linux
Thread about Informix on Linux failing to authenticate database users when shadow passwords or PAM are in use. Informix doesn't authenticate itself but relies on the OS, and the Linux port had a known bug (reportedly #120510 against 7.30UC10); the suggested workaround was to revert to plain /etc/passwd. One poster claimed Informix had no plans to fix it without a support contract, while another reported shadow passwords working fine on Debian slink (which didn't use PAM), possibly due to glibc build differences. No definitive fix or PAM configuration is recorded.
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Isn't there a way to make Informix use a different authentication scheme (if not PAM, how about Kerberos)? If yes, how do I find out more, I've searched the Informix Web site unsuccessfully. Thanks, Ivan Raikov "Art S. Kagel" <kagel@bloomberg.net> writes: > Known problem if you are using the shadow password file or PAM. You > have to back down to /etc/passwd and connection with a username and > password will work again. The method was posted here in the last 4 > months a few times and I believe it is somewhere on the Informix site > as well. > > Art S. Kagel > -- Ivan Raikov 800 Fowler Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30313-2554 Phone: 404-892-6579 x. 106 Email: raikov@cc.gatech.edu
Informix does not do its own authentication at all. It relies on the OS to authenticate users so ostensibly it will use whatever you have setup for your system. The problem with the Linux version right now is a bug that blocks using shadown passwd file or PAM. It is scheduled to be fixed in a future release, see the Informix WEB site for details of version. Search their bug tracking for shadow and/or PAM until you find the bug report which should specify the version scheduled to contain the fix. Art S. Kagel Ivan Raikov wrote: > > Isn't there a way to make Informix use a different authentication > scheme (if not PAM, how about Kerberos)? If yes, how do I find out > more, I've searched the Informix Web site unsuccessfully. > > Thanks, > Ivan Raikov > > "Art S. Kagel" <kagel@bloomberg.net> writes: > > > Known problem if you are using the shadow password file or PAM. You > > have to back down to /etc/passwd and connection with a username and > > password will work again. The method was posted here in the last 4 > > months a few times and I believe it is somewhere on the Informix site > > as well. > > > > Art S. Kagel > > > > -- > Ivan Raikov > 800 Fowler Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30313-2554 > Phone: 404-892-6579 x. 106 > Email: raikov@cc.gatech.edu
That's strange...last time I talked to Informix (4-5 days ago) they said that the PAM bug (120510 I believe) was NOT scheduled to be addressed in any subsequent version (from 7.30UC10). They said that buying support might create an incentive for them to take up the bug again (!). In other words - they want me to pay for a lottery ticket. This absolutely sucks. /m In article <396E2770.B32B8626@bloomberg.net>, kagel@bloomberg.net wrote: > Informix does not do its own authentication at all. It relies on the > OS to authenticate users so ostensibly it will use whatever you have > setup for your system. The problem with the Linux version right now > is a bug that blocks using shadown passwd file or PAM. It is > scheduled to be fixed in a future release, see the Informix WEB site > for details of version. Search their bug tracking for shadow and/or > PAM until you find the bug report which should specify the version > scheduled to contain the fix. > > Art S. Kagel > > Ivan Raikov wrote: > > > > Isn't there a way to make Informix use a different authentication > > scheme (if not PAM, how about Kerberos)? If yes, how do I find out > > more, I've searched the Informix Web site unsuccessfully. > > > > Thanks, > > Ivan Raikov > > > > "Art S. Kagel" <kagel@bloomberg.net> writes: > > > > > Known problem if you are using the shadow password file or PAM. You > > > have to back down to /etc/passwd and connection with a username and > > > password will work again. The method was posted here in the last 4 > > > months a few times and I believe it is somewhere on the Informix site > > > as well. > > > > > > Art S. Kagel > > > > > > > -- > > Ivan Raikov > > 800 Fowler Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30313-2554 > > Phone: 404-892-6579 x. 106 > > Email: raikov@cc.gatech.edu > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.
In article <396E2770.B32B8626@bloomberg.net>, Art S. Kagel wrote: >Informix does not do its own authentication at all. It relies on the >OS to authenticate users so ostensibly it will use whatever you have >setup for your system. The problem with the Linux version right now >is a bug that blocks using shadown passwd file or PAM. It is >scheduled to be fixed in a future release, see the Informix WEB site >for details of version. Search their bug tracking for shadow and/or >PAM until you find the bug report which should specify the version >scheduled to contain the fix. Um, Shadow passwd's work fine in debian. TTFN -- Roger Think of the mess on the carpet. Sensible people do all their demon-summoning in the garage, which you can just hose down afterwards. -- damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk
What's your PAM setup? Do you mind sending me a copy of all your PAM config files? Thanks, Ivan Raikov roger@knuth.computer-surgery.co.uk (Roger Gammans) writes: > > Um, Shadow passwd's work fine in debian. > > TTFN > -- Ivan Raikov 800 Fowler Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30313-2554 Phone: 404-892-6579 x. 106 Email: raikov@cc.gatech.edu
Is that really with 7.30 or is it with a newer version of the DB? /m In article <m3r98iyn30.fsf@fkth15.eastnet.gatech.edu>, Ivan Raikov <raikov@cc.gatech.edu> wrote: > > What's your PAM setup? Do you mind sending me a copy of all your PAM > config files? > > Thanks, > Ivan Raikov > > roger@knuth.computer-surgery.co.uk (Roger Gammans) writes: > > > > > Um, Shadow passwd's work fine in debian. > > > > TTFN > > > > -- > Ivan Raikov > 800 Fowler Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30313-2554 > Phone: 404-892-6579 x. 106 > Email: raikov@cc.gatech.edu > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.
I wrote: >> Um, Shadow passwd's work fine in debian. In article <m3r98iyn30.fsf@fkth15.eastnet.gatech.edu>, Ivan Raikov wrote: > >What's your PAM setup? Do you mind sending me a copy of all your PAM >config files? Well, I don't have anything against in principle, except I was refering to Debian slink which doesn't use PAM. Shadow passwd's it does have though. You might get better result looking at the debian sources/diffs, as they may have compiled shadow passwd's directly in to glibc, which might be why it works.. I haven't investigated.., I'm just happy it works. ;-0> TTFN -- Roger Think of the mess on the carpet. Sensible people do all their demon-summoning in the garage, which you can just hose down afterwards. -- damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk