I'm migrating a system from old hardware running 4.3.3 to a new Power box
running AIX 5.3L.

Is there a quick and easy way to migrate the users and printers from the old
server, or is it safer to add them individually via SMIT or something?

thanks
Neil

Neil Truby wrote:
> I'm migrating a system from old hardware running 4.3.3 to a new Power
box
> running AIX 5.3L.
>
> Is there a quick and easy way to migrate the users and printers from
the old
> server, or is it safer to add them individually via SMIT or
something?
>
> thanks
> Neil

For the users, there are 4 main files you will want to copy from the
old system to the new system: /etc/passwd /etc/group
/etc/security/passwd /etc/security/limits.

You will also need to copy over the users home directories, and use
cpio as root to preserve the ownerships of the directories. tar will
change the ownership of directories to root.

Neil Truby wrote:
> I'm migrating a system from old hardware running 4.3.3 to a new Power
box
> running AIX 5.3L.
>
> Is there a quick and easy way to migrate the users and printers from
the old
> server, or is it safer to add them individually via SMIT or
something?
>
> thanks
> Neil


For the users, there are 4 main files you will want to copy from the
old system to the new system: /etc/passwd /etc/group
/etc/security/passwd /etc/security/limits.

You will also need to copy over the users home directories, and use
cpio as root to preserve the ownerships of the directories. tar will
change the ownership of directories to root.

Neil Truby wrote:
> I'm migrating a system from old hardware running 4.3.3 to a new Power
box
> running AIX 5.3L.
>
> Is there a quick and easy way to migrate the users and printers from
the old
> server, or is it safer to add them individually via SMIT or
something?
>
> thanks
> Neil

>From an earlier post:

to move a bunch of print queues when migrating

For the print queues - copy over /etc/qconfig,
/var/spool/lpd/pio/@local
(and the subdirectories of @local) and you'll be set.

When copying over these files, do you truely just copy the files from
one system to the other?? Does this maintain all the same passwords for
all the users?


Greg Beeker wrote:
> Neil Truby wrote:
> > I'm migrating a system from old hardware running 4.3.3 to a new
Power
> box
> > running AIX 5.3L.
> >
> > Is there a quick and easy way to migrate the users and printers
from
> the old
> > server, or is it safer to add them individually via SMIT or
> something?
> >
> > thanks
> > Neil
>
> For the users, there are 4 main files you will want to copy from the
> old system to the new system: /etc/passwd /etc/group
> /etc/security/passwd /etc/security/limits.
>
> You will also need to copy over the users home directories, and use
> cpio as root to preserve the ownerships of the directories. tar will
> change the ownership of directories to root.

TB wrote:
> When copying over these files, do you truely just copy the files from
> one system to the other?? Does this maintain all the same passwords
for
> all the users?
Yes, the /etc/security/passwd file contains the encrypted passwords for
all the users. I usually make a backup of the current file before I
copy, just in case of problems.

By the way. Please don't top-post. If you reply, just reply under the
text you are repling to. Much easier to read that way
>
>
> Greg Beeker wrote:
> > Neil Truby wrote:
> > > I'm migrating a system from old hardware running 4.3.3 to a new
> Power
> > box
> > > running AIX 5.3L.
> > >
> > > Is there a quick and easy way to migrate the users and printers
> from
> > the old
> > > server, or is it safer to add them individually via SMIT or
> > something?
> > >
> > > thanks
> > > Neil
> >
> > For the users, there are 4 main files you will want to copy from
the
> > old system to the new system: /etc/passwd /etc/group
> > /etc/security/passwd /etc/security/limits.
> >
> > You will also need to copy over the users home directories, and use
> > cpio as root to preserve the ownerships of the directories. tar
will
> > change the ownership of directories to root.

Sorry for the top posting. I am using Google to read and post to news
groups. Sometimes it doesn't work the way I want it to. Hopefully
this will be better.

I was pretty sure that the passwords do come over in the
/etc/security/passwd file, but I was under the impression that the
password hashes were originally created using info specific to the
physical box. I'm guessing this is not correct, otherwise the hashes
would not work correctly on the different box. I would just hate to
move the files over and find out I can no longer log in as root,
because the passwd file is all messed up. (Backing up the original
files was definitely part of my plan )

Please let me know if I am way off in thinking that the hashes are box
specific.

Thanks for your help.

TB wrote:
> Sorry for the top posting. I am using Google to read and post to
news
> groups. Sometimes it doesn't work the way I want it to. Hopefully
> this will be better.

I too use google and the way to respond to specific text, is select
'options' from the message, and then reply from the options below. That
will include the text to reply to in the body of the reply .

>
> I was pretty sure that the passwords do come over in the
> /etc/security/passwd file, but I was under the impression that the
> password hashes were originally created using info specific to the
> physical box. I'm guessing this is not correct, otherwise the hashes
> would not work correctly on the different box. I would just hate to
> move the files over and find out I can no longer log in as root,
> because the passwd file is all messed up. (Backing up the original
> files was definitely part of my plan )

What I do is open a root shell on the destination system, move the
files, and try to login as root with the 'old' root password. If it
works, Bob's your uncle. If not, you can change root's password from
the open root shell.

>
> Please let me know if I am way off in thinking that the hashes are
box
> specific.

AFAIK, this method works for AIX and Solaris 8 and 9.

>
> Thanks for your help.
YW!

Greg Beeker wrote:
> TB wrote:
> > Sorry for the top posting. I am using Google to read and post to
> news
> > groups. Sometimes it doesn't work the way I want it to. Hopefully
> > this will be better.
>
> I too use google and the way to respond to specific text, is select
> 'options' from the message, and then reply from the options below.
That
> will include the text to reply to in the body of the reply .
To clarify select 'show options' from the right of the Message Header.
>
> >
> > I was pretty sure that the passwords do come over in the
> > /etc/security/passwd file, but I was under the impression that the
> > password hashes were originally created using info specific to the
> > physical box. I'm guessing this is not correct, otherwise the
hashes
> > would not work correctly on the different box. I would just hate
to
> > move the files over and find out I can no longer log in as root,
> > because the passwd file is all messed up. (Backing up the original
> > files was definitely part of my plan )
>
> What I do is open a root shell on the destination system, move the
> files, and try to login as root with the 'old' root password. If it
> works, Bob's your uncle. If not, you can change root's password from
> the open root shell.
>
> >
> > Please let me know if I am way off in thinking that the hashes are
> box
> > specific.
>
> AFAIK, this method works for AIX and Solaris 8 and 9.
>
> >
> > Thanks for your help.
> YW!