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#1 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 01:56 AM

Since upgrading from Sarge to Etch I get the following output when I call
"su" from a user terminal:

[felixk@ ~]$ su
Password:
configuration error - unknown item 'FAIL_DELAY' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'QUOTAS_ENAB' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'NOLOGIN_STR' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'ENV_HZ' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'PASS_MAX_LEN' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'CHFN_AUTH' (notify administrator)
configuration error - unknown item 'CLOSE_SESSIONS' (notify administrator)

Regrettably, the administrator (me) is unable to help.

What needs fixing?

Felix Karpfen

--
Felix Karpfen
Public Key 72FDF9DF (DH/DSA)

#2 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 01:56 AM

Thus spake Felix Karpfen:
> Since upgrading from Sarge to Etch I get the following output when I call
> "su" from a user terminal:
>
> [felixk@ ~]$ su
> Password:
> configuration error - unknown item 'FAIL_DELAY' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'QUOTAS_ENAB' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'NOLOGIN_STR' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'ENV_HZ' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'PASS_MAX_LEN' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'CHFN_AUTH' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'CLOSE_SESSIONS' (notify administrator)
>
> Regrettably, the administrator (me) is unable to help.
>
> What needs fixing?
>
> Felix Karpfen
>
>
>

I Google'd the first line of your error messages and got quite a lot of
hits; here's one from http://tinyurl.com/33jj9z

Quote:

02-28-2006, 07:21 PM #3
kulmis
Member

Registered: Aug 2003
Posts: 33

After some heavy digging I found a solution from Debian bug report logs.
Thanks for the answer anyways.

P.S. Here's the solution if someone should need it: The problem is
caused by upgrading package login. apt-get for some reason doesn't
remove FAIL_DELAY etc. from /etc/login.defs eventhough they are not
needed anymore (and may not exist in that file). If you manually comment
out those lines, everything should work.
-------------------
and
-------------------
03-06-2006, 12:25 AM #4
SlithyTove
LQ Newbie

Registered: Feb 2006
Location: Philadelphia area
Distribution: Ubuntu Gutsy
Posts: 15

Thanks, Kulmis!

I just ran into that problem after an upgrade tonight, but commenting
out FAIL_DELAY fixes it.
-----------------
also from
http://www.webservertalk.com/archive...3-1442644.html
-----------------

SINNER

2006-03-27, 8:17 am
* x0054 wrote in alt.os.linux:
> x0054 <x0054@inbox.com> wrote in news:Xns978DC99FB56A1x0054inboxcom@
> 67.98.68.13:

[vbcol=seagreen]
[vbcol=seagreen]
[vbcol=seagreen]
[vbcol=seagreen]
> Any ideas guys? I know it may be simple, but I searched around and tried
> few things with no luck. This started happening when I changed FAIL_DELAY
> from 2 to 10. However I have changed it back subsequently but the problem
> has stayed.

It looks like you've done an upgrade and now FAIL_DELAY is no longer a
valid option. Comment out that line in login.defs.
----------------
lastly from
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=562360
----------------

[SOLVED] configuration error - unknown item 'FAIL_DELAY' (notify
administrator) After upgrading to 7.04, I got this message. I was
telnet-ing into the system:

Trying 127.0.0.1... Connected to localhost. Escape character is '^]'.
Ubuntu 7.04 configuration error - unknown item 'FAIL_DELAY' (notify
administrator)

Nothing bad happens. I am just wondering about the message and how I
might clear it.

I upgraded telnetd; it refused all connections; I rebooted; was still
getting this error, and then commented out FAIL_DELAY in login.defs.
Problem is solved.

#
# Delay in seconds before being allowed another attempt after a login failure
#
#FAIL_DELAY 3

From three sources, it seems " commented out FAIL_DELAY in login.defs"
is the answer.

--
sk8r-365
But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD;
and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts
of my holiness. -- Isaiah 62:9

#3 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 01:56 AM

Felix Karpfen wrote:

> Since upgrading from Sarge to Etch I get the following output when I call
> "su" from a user terminal:
>
> [felixk@ ~]$ su
> Password:
> configuration error - unknown item 'FAIL_DELAY' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'QUOTAS_ENAB' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'NOLOGIN_STR' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'ENV_HZ' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'PASS_MAX_LEN' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'CHFN_AUTH' (notify administrator)
> configuration error - unknown item 'CLOSE_SESSIONS' (notify administrator)
>
> Regrettably, the administrator (me) is unable to help.
>
> What needs fixing?
>
> Felix Karpfen
>
>
>

/etc/login.defs

This is due to an upgrade shadows using an old /etc/login.defs file.

--

Jerry McBride (jmcbride@mail-on.us)

#4 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 11:19 AM

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:14:49 -0600, sk8r-365 wrote:

> Thus spake Felix Karpfen:
>> Since upgrading from Sarge to Etch I get the following output when I call
>> "su" from a user terminal:

SNIP
>>
>> [felixk@ ~]$ su
>> Password:
>> configuration error - unknown item 'FAIL_DELAY' (notify administrator)

SNIP

>> Regrettably, the administrator (me) is unable to help.
>>

> I Google'd the first line of your error messages and got quite a lot of
> hits; here's one from http://tinyurl.com/33jj9z

Two flies with one hit!!

It never occurred to me to use Google.

My thanks to both respondents for the advice.

Felix Karpfen

--
Felix Karpfen
Public Key 72FDF9DF (DH/DSA)

#5 (**permalink**) 03-01-2008, 11:19 AM

Thus spake Felix Karpfen:
>
> Two flies with one hit!!
>
> It never occurred to me to use Google.
>
> My thanks to both respondents for the advice.
>

Felix,
Happy to help ... Google, and many other search engines, are
handy sources for sure.

--
sk8r-365

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