The result of running passwd --status tells me that the password needs to be changed as actually I had in my /etc/shadow file only a "!" as password in order to safely disable the root account. It looks like this is not compatible with the cron.d system. I have changed the password and then locked the account (passwd -l) and now it works. The thing is that I wanted to remove the password from the /etc/shadow file as with the lock option the password is still there but with a "!" before it.
On Thursday, February 5, 2015 10:18 PM, Bob Proulx <b...@proulx.com> wrote: ML mail wrote: > I am trying to run cron from /etc/cron.d with the root account which > has password disabled in order not to be able to login as root but > when the cron entry wants to run it simply does not and show the > following error message in the log file: > > CRON[16785]: Authentication token is no longer valid; new one required This reads to me that the password for root has expired. It is the state of an expired password that is a problem. When you say that the root password has been disabled what exactly do you mean by that statement? Did you 'passwd -e root'? If so that is the source of the problem. Root should not have an expired password. What does this say? Example from a system of mine. $ passwd --status root root P 05/01/2010 0 99999 7 -1 > Any idea how to run a cronjob from /etc/cron.d with the root account > disabled? I didn't have time to test this procedure but I would use 'passwd root' to change the password and to fix the expiration. (Actually *I* would simply edit the /etc/shadow file and fix it but for others I recommend using the tool to avoid a file editing mistake in that very critical file.) After updating the password I think the expiration problem will have been fixed. You don't actually ever have to use that password. Bob -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: https://lists.debian.org/1326385422.691043.1423212080587.javamail.ya...@mail.yahoo.com
