SOLUTION: Can't create users/shell not available

Virtualmin
1

If you are having problems trying to create a user successfully from the Virtualmin web interface, and you get an error message like this:

"Selected shell is not available for mail / FTP users"

Check the following.

Make sure that you are running Virtualmin > 3.51.

With this problem you may see on the create user form in the "Other User Permissions" section the "Login Permissions" dropbox will be blank.
You may also see something like this in the miniserv.error log:

[code:1][31/Jan/2008:16:52:31 -0600] [1.1.1.1] /unauthenticated//…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/etc/shells : File not found
[/code:1]

Fix:

In the Virtualmin navigation, select "System Customization" > "Custom Shells".

If the table is blank, then either enter at least one custom shell setting. Or set it to "Virtualmin built-in defaults" and then save it.

This should now fix your available settings.

2

Yes, that would be the correct solution. I will add a fix to Virtualmin 3.52 to do this automatically.

By the way, that message in the logs about /etc/shells is a failed hack attempt on Webmin, trying to exploit an old bug.

3

I’m running version 3.52 of Virtualmin, and are having problems that seem to be covered by this post. Unfortunately, the posted solution here doesn’t work.

In fact, if I go to "custom shells", nothing is listed there, and all parts of the form but the radio button for " Custom shells below …" are grayed out. The form is there, but the checkbox for "enabled" is greyed out as is the rest of the form.

I have users I need to add. Help!

Thanks

4

Is this 3.52 GPL? If so, try re-downloading it from www.webmin.com and re-installing it. For a very short time after I posted it, there was a bug that could cause this.

5

Jamie,

Thank you for the quick response. Yes, this did indeed resolve the issue.

THANKS!