[xen-tools] Re: Literally copying /etc/groups breaks VMs build on Ubuntu Dapper

[Steve Kemp]

On Thu, Jun 15, 2006 at 12:36:38AM +0200, Sven Hartge wrote:

> debootstrapping Sarge VMs works without any problems, but the copied
> /etc/group from the host system lacks some groups, for example
> "Debian-exim" (Ubuntus default MTA is Postfix) which is needed by exim4.
> 
> The Debian-exim group is present in the /etc/group after the debootstrap
> run but is clobbered by 60-copy-host-files and thus after booting such a
> VM you have no exim4 and for some reason also no running sshd.
> 
> The same also happens if you bootstrap VMs on a Debian system without
> installed Exim4 or if the /etc/group of the host system is non-standard.

  Right that sounds like a common problem. I  guess I don't notice
 since I tend to only use Sarge for my instances.

> (Question: Why is /etc/group copied in the first place? Wouldn't it be
> better to use an approach like with /etc/passwd and just append all
> groups with a gid>1024?)

  Now that you suggest it, yes!

  I'll try to get this done today.  (To be honest the only reasion
 I started copying this file at all was because I wanted to copy
 my "skx" group, so that when I copied the passwd file over my
 usual user would have correct group membership.  I don't often
 setup systems which use the 'users' group.)

Steve
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