Useradd problem: cannot create directory

[Jantje]

Hello,

When I want to create a new user, and I want it to have a homedirectory with more than one 'level', I get an error-message like this:

[root@localhost ~]# useradd -d /home/verkopers/lies lies
useradd: cannot create /home/verkopers/lies

When I leave one level out, and I take /home/verkopers as the homedirectory, there's no problem. Isn't it possible to create any homedirectory that you want?

greetz

Jan

[giulix]

Try this:

useradd -d /home/verkopers/lies -M lies

You'll have to create the directory yourself, though...

[Jantje]

yes, I tried that too and it works that way. but my goal was to make it all in one effort. i'm following a self-training Linux-course and this is part of an exercise i'm trying to make...

thanx for your quick reply anyway!

[giulix]

Hopefully someone will come out with a better solution. useradd has been modified on Fedora: I seem to remember that on Solaris, for instance, that used to work...

[Jantje]

i saw some examples on other distro's where it seemed to work, but if useradd indeed has been modified on Fedora, then maybe it's not possible anymore... thanks for your help, I appreciate it!

[smfinley]

Try "system-config-users" as root.

[Jantje]

Originally Posted by smfinley

Try "system-config-users" as root.

That doesn't work: if i change the homedirectory there, i can add an extra file 'level' and he doesn't give an error message, but the directory is not created in real. It stays the same default directory /home/lies. It looks like the 'useradd' command has changed in FC4?

Jan

P.S.: congratulations with your FC4 installation notes, Mr. Finley. They were a fantastic help for a Linux-newbie like me!

[giulix]

NOTES
The system administrator is responsible for placing the default user
files in the
This version of useradd was modified by Red Hat to suit Red Hat
user/group conventions. /etc/skel/ directory.



(from man useradd)

[Jantje]

good english there those manpages can really be confusing... strange problem though! i've found many examples on forums where it was possible to have a homedirectory with more than one level. but i'm quite new at Linux, so i really can't explain.