Worst thing!

[Rajkumar Basuveswaran]

Wanted to test a tape drive read/write test. Logged in to the NIS master server, I entered this command,

tar cvf /etc/passwd /dev/rmt/0m.

Just before that, I was working in a DOS command window,
copy

And I got so many problem tickets that day.
Phone calls too!!!

Raj

[Bill Douglass]

Bummer, man. Sorry 'bout that.

On the bright side, at least you archived your tape drive :-)

[Helen French]

Bad luck! If you have a backup copy, you can restore /etc/passwd from the last set. Always, give device file names after "f" option with tar. Also, for testing never use any system specific files. Create your own folder in /home or /tmp and create your own files. This way you will never screw the system. Also, for any reason if you intent to change a system file or to play with it, make a copy first.

Just some thoughts ..

[Caesar_3]

Hello!

Bad luck, if you have backup so no problem
if not do you have NIS slave server than
take the data from him
Otherwise you will need to do all from begin

Caesar

[Michael Steele_2]

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x427f85079106d71190050090279cd0f9,00.html

[Ricardo Bassoi]

Hi,

Next time try:

tar -tvf (instead cvf)

and test the read/write with a dumb file:

ls -l > test_file


Now, in your case, only a backup can help you, or if the /etc/passwd wan??t so big you can created the users again from the scratch and after send a email to all in order to change the password.

Regards,

Ricardo Bassoi