B.93. system-config-users

When creating users, or more specifically their home directories, system-config-users relied on the access() system call to check if a directory was writable (and, consequently, whether a new home directory could be created in the requested location).

The access() system call returns reliable information for POSIX-compliant (or mostly POSIX-compliant) file-systems only. In some cases, therefore, relying on the information returned by access() could result in user creation failing.

If, for example, system-config-users was directed to create a user with a home folder in a directory managed by an auto-mounter (such as /net), access() returned inaccurate information and user creation subsequently failed.

With this update, system-config-users no longer relies on access(), or other operating system functions, in such cases: it now attempts to create the home directory and checks whether it has succeeded in doing so.

As well, if the chosen location is not writable, system-config-users returns an alert to this effect and requests 'a writable location' be chosen rather than simply writing errors to the terminal and failing.