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The uss command suite helps you create and delete AFS user accounts quickly and easily. You can create a single account with the uss add command, delete a single account with the uss delete command, or create and delete multiple accounts with the uss bulk command.
A single uss add or uss bulk command can create a complete AFS user account because the uss command interpreter refers to a template file in which you predefine the configuration of many account components. The uss delete command deletes most of the components of a user account, but does not use a template file.
The uss suite also easily incorporates shell scripts or other programs that you write to perform parts of account creation and deletion unique to your site. To invoke a script or program automatically as a uss command runs, use the appropriate instructions in the template file or bulk input file. Various sections of this chapter discuss possible uses for scripts.
Using the uss commands to create and delete accounts is the recommended method because it automates and correctly orders most of the necessary steps. The alternative is to issue a series of separate commands to the various AFS servers, which requires more careful record keeping. For instructions, see Administering User Accounts.
This chapter explains how to perform the following tasks by
using the indicated commands:
| Add a single user account | uss add |
| Delete a single user account | uss delete |
| Add and delete multiple accounts | uss bulk |
The commands in the uss suite help you to automate the creation and deletion of AFS user accounts:
An AFS user account can have many components. The only two required components are entries in the Protection Database and Authentication Database, but the other components add functionality and usability. The following information also appears in a corresponding section of Administering User Accounts, but is repeated here for your convenience.
To issue uss commands successfully, you usually need all of the standard AFS administrative privileges: membership in the system:administrators group, inclusion in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file on every relevant server machine, and the ADMIN flag on your Authentication Database entry. For details on administrative privilege, see Managing Administrative Privilege.
As for any complex operation, there are a number of possible reasons that an account-creation or deletion operation can halt before it completes. You can easily avoid several of the common reasons by making the following checks before issuing a uss command:
Another way to avoid errors that halt an operation is to preview the uss command by combining the -dryrun flag with the other arguments to be used on the actual command. The uss command interpreter generates a screen trace of the actions to be performed by the actual command, without performing them.
Using the -dryrun flag reveals many basic errors that can halt an operation, particularly the ones due to incorrect syntax in the command line, template file, or bulk input file. It does not catch all possible errors, however, because the command interpreter is not actually attempting to perform the actions it is tracing. For example, a Volume Server outage does not necessarily halt the volume creation step when the -dryrun flag is included, because the command interpreter is not actually contacting the server; such an outage halts the actual creation operation.
When the uss command interpreter encounters error conditions minor enough that they do not require halting the operation, it usually generates a message that begins with the string uss: Warning: and describes the action it is taking to avoid halting. For example, if a user's Protection Database entry already exists, the following message appears on the standard output stream:
uss: Warning: User 'user' already in the protection database The uid for user 'user' is AFS UID
If an error is more serious, the word Warning does not appear in the message, which instead describes why the command interpreter cannot perform the requested action. Not all of these errors cause the uss operation to halt, but they still require you to take corrective action. For example, attempting to create a mount point fails if you lack the necessary permissions on the parent directory's ACL, or if the mount point pathname in the V instruction's mount_point field is malformed. However, this error does not cause the creation operation to halt until later instructions in the template attempt to install subdirectories or files under the nonexistent mount point.
If the command shell prompts returns directly after an error message, then the error generally was serious enough to halt the operation. When an error halts account creation or deletion, the best way to recover is to find and fix the cause, and then reissue the same uss command.
The following list describes what happens when components of a user's account already exist when you reissue an account-creation command (the uss add command, or the uss bulk command when the bulk input file contains add instructions):
The following describes what happens when a uss delete command references account components that have already been deleted.
To obtain authenticated access to a cell's AFS filespace, a user must not only have a valid AFS token, but also an entry in the local password file (/etc/passwd or equivalent) of the AFS client machine. This section discusses why it is important for the user's AFS UID to match to the UNIX UID listed in the local password file, the appropriate value to put in the file's password field, and outlines a method for creating a single source password file.
For instructions on using the template file's E instruction to generate local password file entries automatically as part of account creation, see Creating a Common Source Password File.
The following information also appears in a corresponding section of Administering User Accounts, but is repeated here for your convenience.
A user account is easiest to administer and use if the AFS user ID number (AFS UID) and UNIX UID match. All instructions in the AFS documentation assume that they do.
The most basic reason to make AFS and UNIX UIDs the same is so that the owner name reported by the UNIX ls -l and ls -ld commands makes sense for AFS files and directories. Following standard UNIX practice, the File Server records a number rather than a username in an AFS file or directory's owner field: the owner's AFS UID. When you issue the ls -l command, it translates the UID to a username according to the mapping in the local password file, not the AFS Protection Database. If the AFS and UNIX UIDs do not match, the ls -l command reports an unexpected (and incorrect) owner. The output can even vary on different client machines if their local password files map the same UNIX UID to different names.
Follow the recommendations in the indicated sections to make AFS and UNIX UIDs match when you are creating accounts for various types of users:
Authenticating with AFS is easiest for your users if you install and configure an AFS-modified login utility, which logs a user into the local file system and obtains an AFS token in one step. In this case, the local password file no longer controls a user's ability to login in most circumstances, because the AFS-modified login utility does not consult the local password file if the user provides the correct AFS password. You can nonetheless use a password file entry's password field (usually, the second field) in the following ways to control login and authentication:
If you do not use an AFS-modified login utility, you must place a standard UNIX password in the local password file of every client machine the user will use. The user logs into the local file system only, and then must issue the klog command to authenticate with AFS. It is simplest if the passwords in the local password file and the Authentication Database are the same, but this is not required.
This section explains how to create a common source version of the local password file when using uss commands to create user accounts. The sequence of steps is as follows:
As an example, the template file used by the ABC Corporation includes the following E instruction to create a file called passwd_username in the directory /afs/.abc.com/common/etc/newaccts (the entire contents of the template file appear in Example uss Templates and a full description of the E instruction appears in Creating One-Line Files with the E Instruction):
E /afs/.abc.com/common/etc/newaccts/passwd_$USER 0644 root \
"$USER:X:$UID:11:$NAME:$MTPT:/bin/csh"
For the user Joe L. Smith with username smith, this instruction creates a file called passwd_smith which contains the following line:
smith:X:1205:11:Joe L. Smith:/afs/abc.com/usr/usr1/smith:/bin/csh
A shell script is probably the easiest way to incorporate a set of files created in this manner into a common source password file, and two sample shell scripts appear here. To automate the process even further, you can create a cron process in a file server machine's /usr/afs/local/BosConfig directory to execute the shell script, perhaps each day at a given time; for details, see To create and start a new process.
| Note: | The following example scripts are suggestions only. If you choose to use them, or to model similar scripts on them, you must test that your script has the desired result, preferably in a test environment. |
Example C Shell Script
The first example is a simple C shell script suitable for the ABC Corporation cell. It incorporates the individual files found in the /afs/.abc.com/common/uss/newaccts directory into a new version of the global password file found in the /afs/.abc.com/common/etc directory, sorting the files into alphabetical order. It takes care to save the current version with a .old extension, then removes the individual files when done.
set dir = /afs/.abc.com/common cat $dir/uss/newaccts/passwd_* $dir/etc/passwd >! $dir/etc/passwd.new mv $dir/etc/passwd $dir/etc/passwd.old sort $dir/etc/passwd.new > $dir/etc/passwd rm $dir/etc/passwd.new $dir/uss/newaccts/passwd_*
Example Bourne Shell Script
The second, more elaborate, example is a Bourne shell script that first verifies that there are new passwd_username files to be incorporated into the global password file. While running, it checks that each new entry does not already exist. Like the shorter C shell example, it incorporates the individual files found in the /afs/.abc.com/common/uss/newaccts directory into a new version of the global passwd file found in the /afs/.abc.com/common/etc directory.
#!/bin/sh
DESTDIR=/afs/.abc.com/common/uss/newaccts
cd $DESTDIR
DEST=/afs/.abc.com/common/etc
cp /afs/.abc.com/common/etc/passwd /afs/.abc.com/common/uss/newaccts/passwd
echo "copied in passwd file."
PASSWD=/afs/.abc.com/common/uss/newaccts/passwd
ENTRIES=`ls passwd_*`
case $ENTRIES in
"")
echo No new entry found to be added to passwd file
;;
*)
echo "Adding new users to passwd file."
for i in $ENTRIES
do
cat $i | awk -F: '{print $1 > "foo"}'
USER=`cat foo`
case `egrep -e \^$USER\: $PASSWD` in
"")
echo adding $USER
cat $i >> $PASSWD
;;
*)
echo $USER already in passwd file
;;
esac
mv $i ../old.passdir/done_${i}
done
cd /afs/.abc.com/common/uss/newaccts
echo "sorting password file"
sort ${PASSWD} > ${PASSWD}.sorted
echo "installing files"
install ${PASSWD}.sorted ${DEST}/passwd
echo "Password file is built, sorted and installed."
;;
esac
This section discusses the three main issues you need to consider if there are existing UNIX accounts to be converted to AFS accounts.
As previously mentioned, AFS users must have an entry in the local password file on every client machine from which they access the AFS filespace as an authenticated user. Both administration and use are much simpler if the UNIX UID and AFS UID match. When converting existing UNIX accounts, you have two alternatives:
Because you are retaining the user's UNIX UID, you do not need to alter the UID in the local password file entry. However, if you are using an AFS-modified login utility, you possibly need to change the password field in the entry. For a discussion of how the value in the password field affects login with an AFS-modified login utility, see Creating Local Password File Entries with uss.
If now or in the future you need to create AFS accounts for users who do not have an existing UNIX UID, then you must guarantee that new AFS UIDs do not conflict with any existing UNIX UIDs. The simplest way is to set the max user id counter in the Protection Database to a value higher than the largest existing UNIX UID. See Displaying and Setting the AFS UID and GID Counters.
Allow the Protection Server to allocate the AFS UIDs automatically as you create AFS accounts. For instructions on creating a new entry for the local password file during account creation, see Creating Local Password File Entries with uss.
There is one drawback to changing the UNIX UID: any files and directories that the user owned in the local file system before becoming an AFS user still have the former UID in their owner field. If you want the ls -l and ls -ld commands to display the correct owner, you must use the chown command to change the value to the user's new UID, whether you are leaving the file in the local file system or moving it to AFS. See Moving Local Files into AFS.
Existing UNIX accounts already have an entry in the local password file, probably with a (scrambled) password in the password field. You possibly need to change the value in the field, depending on the type of login utility you use:
If you choose to place an actual password in a local password file entry, then you can define a dummy password when you use a template file E instruction to create the entry, as described in Creating One-Line Files with the E Instruction. Have the user issue the UNIX password-setting command (passwd or equivalent) to replace the dummy with an actual secret password.
New AFS users with existing UNIX accounts probably already own files and directories stored in a machine's local file system, and it usually makes sense to transfer them into the new home volume. The easiest method is to move them onto the local disk of an AFS client machine, and then use the UNIX mv command to transfer them into the user's new AFS home directory.
As you move files and directories into AFS, keep in mind that the meaning of their mode bits changes. AFS ignores the second and third sets of mode bits (group and other), and does not use the first set (the owner bits) directly, but only in conjunction with entries on the ACL (for details, see How AFS Interprets the UNIX Mode Bits). Be sure that the ACL protects the file or directory at least as securely as the mode bits.
If you have chosen to change a user's UNIX UID to match a new AFS UID, you must change the ownership of UNIX files and directories as well. Only members of the system:administrators group can issue the chown command on files and directories once they reside in AFS.
Creating user accounts with uss commands is generally more convenient than using individual commands. You control the account creation process just as closely, but the uss template file enables you to predefine many aspects of account configuration. Because you construct the template before issuing uss commands, you have time to consider configuration details carefully and correct syntax errors. The following list summarizes some further advantages of using a template:
The following list briefly describes the instructions that can appear in a template file and points you to a later section for more details. It lists them in the order that is usually optimal for correct handling of dependencies between the different types of instruction.
Using the uss add and uss bulk commands, you can create three types of accounts that differ in their levels of functionality. For a description of the types, see Configuring AFS User Accounts. The following list explains how to construct a template for each type:
Each instruction in the uss template file has several fields that define the characteristics of the element that it creates. The D instruction's fields, for instance, define a directory's pathname, owner, mode bits, and ACL.
You can place three types of values in a field: a variable, a constant, or a combination of the two. The appropriate value depends on the desired configuration, and determines which arguments you provide to the uss add command or which fields you include in a bulk input file add instruction.
If an aspect of account configuration is the same for every user, define a constant value in the appropriate field by inserting a character string. For example, to assign a space quota of 10,000 KB to every user volume, place the string 10000 in the V instruction's quota field.
If, on the other hand, an aspect of account configuration varies for each user, put a variable in the appropriate field. When creating each account, provide a value for the variable by providing either the corresponding argument to the uss add command or a value in the corresponding field of the add instruction in the bulk input file.
The uss command suite defines a set of template variables, each
of which has a corresponding source for its value, as summarized in Table 3. For a discussion of their intended uses, see the
following sections about each template instruction (Creating a Volume with the V Instruction through Executing Commands with the X Instruction).
Table 3. Source for values of uss template variables
| Variable | Source for value |
| $AUTO | Previous G instructions in template |
| $MTPT | -mount argument to uss add command or mount_point field of bulk input file add instruction, when in V instruction; V instruction's mount_point field when in subsequent instructions |
| $NAME | -realname argument to uss add command or mount_point field of bulk input file add instruction, if provided; otherwise, -user argument to uss add command or username field of in bulk input file add instruction |
| $PART | -partition argument to uss add command or partition field of bulk input file add instruction |
| $PWEXPIRES | -pwexpires argument to uss add command or password_expires field of bulk input file add instruction |
| $SERVER | -server argument to uss add command or file_server field of bulk input file add instruction |
| $UID | -uid argument to uss add command or uid field of bulk input file add instruction, if provided; otherwise, allocated automatically by Protection Server |
| $USER | -user argument to uss add command or username field of bulk input file add instruction |
| $1 through $9 | -var argument to uss add command or var1 through var9 fields of bulk input file add instruction |
A common use of variables is to define the file server machine and partition that house the user's volume, which often vary from user to user. Place the $SERVER variable in the V instruction's server field, and the $PART variable in its partition field. If using the uss add command, provide the desired value with the -server and -partition arguments. If using the uss bulk command, provide the desired values in the file_server and partition fields of each user's add instruction in the bulk input file.
The variables $1 through $9 can be used to customize other aspects of the account. Provide a value for these variables with the -var argument to the uss add command or in the appropriate field of the bulk input file add instruction. The -var argument is unusual in that each instance for it has two parts: the number index and the value, separated by a space. For examples of the use of a number variable, see the discussions of the mount_point and quota fields in Creating a Volume with the V Instruction.
If some aspect of account configuration is partly constant and partly variable, you can combine variables and constants in an instruction field. For example, suppose that the ABC Corporation mounts user volumes in the /afs/abc.com/usr directory. That part of the pathname is constant, but the name of the mount point and home directory is the user's username, which corresponds to the $USER variable. To configure accounts in this way, combine a constant string and a variable in the V instruction's mount_point field as follows:
/afs/abc.com/usr/$USER
Then provide the value for the $USER variable with the -user argument to the uss add command, or in the username field of each user's add instruction in the bulk input file.
A template must be available to the uss command interpreter as it executes a uss add or uss bulk command, even if it is the zero-length file appropriate for creating an authentication-only account.
If you do not provide the -template argument to the uss add or uss bulk command, then the command interpreter searches for a template file called uss.template in each of the following directories in turn:
To use a template file with a different name or stored in a different directory, include the -template argument to the uss add or uss bulk command. If you provide a filename only, the command interpreter looks for it in the directories listed just previously. If you provide a pathname and filename, it looks only in the specified directory, interpreting a partial pathname relative to the current working directory.
This section summarizes some general rules to follow when constructing a template file. For each instruction's syntax definition, see the following sections (Evenly Distributing User Home Directories with the G Instruction through Executing Commands with the X Instruction).
G V D F E L S A X
It is possible to use the D, E, and F instructions to create directories or files in the local file system of the machine on which you are issuing the uss command, but that usage is not recommended. It introduces two potential complications:
The alternative is to become the local superuser root after the uss operation completes, and issue the necessary chown command then. However, that makes the account creation process that much less automated.
The recommended method for configuring a machine's local disk is to use the AFS package utility instead; see Configuring Client Machines with the package Program.
This section describes example templates for the basic and full account types (the template for an authentication-only account is empty).
The first example creates a basic account. It contains two G instructions and a V instruction that defines the volume name, file server machine, partition, quota in kilobytes, mount point, home directory owner, and home directory access control list. In the ABC Corporation cell, a suitable template is:
G /afs/.abc.com/usr1
G /afs/.abc.com/usr2
V user.$USER $SERVER.abc.com /vicep$PART 5000 $AUTO/$USER $UID \
$USER all staff rl
When issuing the uss add command with this type of template, provide the following arguments:
The Protection Server automatically assigns an AFS UID for the $UID variable, and the G instructions provide a value for the $AUTO variable.
The following example template file creates a full account in the ABC Corporation cell. The following sections about each type of instruction describe the effect of the examples. Note that the V and E instructions appear on two lines each only for the sake of legibility.
#
# Specify the available grouping directories
#
G /afs/.abc.com/usr1
G /afs/.abc.com/usr2
#
# Create the user's home volume
#
V user.$USER $SERVER.abc.com /vicep$PART 5000 /afs/.abc.com/$AUTO/$USER \
$UID $USER all abc:staff rl
#
# Create directories and files for mail
#
D $MTPT/.MESSAGES 0700 $UID $USER all abc:staff none
D $MTPT/.Outgoing 0700 $UID $USER rlidwk postman rlidwk
D $MTPT/Mailbox 0700 $UID $USER all abc:staff none system:anyuser lik
#
# Here are some useful scripts for login etc.
#
F $MTPT/.Xbiff 0755 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
F $MTPT/.Xresources 0644 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
F $MTPT/.Xsession 0755 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
F $MTPT/.cshrc 0755 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
F $MTPT/.login 0755 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
F $MTPT/.logout 0755 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
F $MTPT/.twmrc 0644 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
F $MTPT/preferences 0644 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
#
# Make a passwd entry
#
E /afs/.abc.com/common/etc/newaccts/passwd_$USER 0644 root \
"$USER:X:$UID:11:$NAME:$MTPT:/bin/csh"
#
# Put in the standard password/authentication checks
#
A $USER 250 noreuse 9 25
#
# Create and mount a public volume for the user
#
X "create_public_vol $USER $1 $2"
#
# Here we set up the symbolic link to public directory
#
S /afs/abc.com/public/$USER $MTPT/public
In cells with thousands of user accounts, it often makes sense to distribute the mount points for user volumes into multiple parent directories, because placing them all in one directory noticeably slows down directory lookup when a user home directory is accessed. A possible solution is to create parent directories that group user home directories alphabetically, or that reflect divisions like academic or corporate departments. However, in a really large cell, some such groups can still be large enough to slow directory lookup, and users who belong to those groups are unfairly penalized every time they access their home directory. Another drawback to groupings that reflect workplace divisions is that you must move mount points when users change departmental affiliation.
An alternative is an even distribution of user home directories into multiple parent directories that do not represent workplace divisions. The uss command suite enables you to define a list of directories by placing a G instruction for each one at the top of the template file, and then using the $AUTO variable in the V instruction's mount_point field. When the uss command interpreter encounters the $AUTO variable, it substitutes the directory named by a G instruction that currently has the fewest entries. (Actually, the $AUTO variable can appear in any field that includes a pathname, in any type of instruction. In all cases, the command interpreter substitutes the directory that currently has the fewest entries.)
The G instruction's syntax is as follows:
G directory
where directory specifies either a complete directory pathname or only the final element (the directory itself). The choice determines the appropriate value to place in the V instruction's mount_point field.
Specify the read/write path to each directory, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to create a new mount point in a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.abc.com). For further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see Mounting Volumes.
For example, the ABC Corporation example template for a full account in Example uss Templates defines two directories:
G /afs/.abc.com/usr1 G /afs/.abc.com/usr2
and puts the value $AUTO/$USER in the V instruction's mount_point field. An alternative with the same result is to define the directories as follows:
G usr1 G usr2
and specify a more complete pathname in the V instruction's mount_point field: /afs/.abc.com/$AUTO/$USER.
Unless the template file is empty (zero-length), one and only one V instruction must appear in it. (To create other volumes for a user as part of a uss account-creation operation, use the X instruction to invoke the vos create command or a script that invokes that command along with others, such as the fs mkmount command. For an example, see Executing Commands with the X Instruction.)
The V instruction defines the following AFS entities:
The following discussion of the fields in a V instruction refers to the example in the full account template from Example uss Templates (the instruction appears here on two lines only for legibility):
V user.$USER $SERVER.abc.com /vicep$PART 5000 \
/afs/.abc.com/$AUTO/$USER $UID $USER all abc:staff rl
The V instruction's syntax is as follows:
V volume_name server partition quota mount_point owner ACL
where
To follow the convention of including the user's name as part of the volume name, include the $USER variable in this field. The variable takes its value from the -user argument to the uss add command or from the bulk input file add instruction's username field.
The ABC Corporation example uses the value user.$USER to assign the conventional volume name, user.username. When creating an account for user smith, for example, you then include -user smith as an argument to the uss add command, or place the value smith in the bulk input file add instruction's username field.
To place different users' volumes on different file server machines, use the $SERVER variable in this field, and provide a value for it either with the -server argument to the uss add command or in the server field of the bulk input file add instruction. One easy way to specify a fully qualified hostname without having to type it completely on the command line is to combine a constant and the $SERVER variable. Specifically, the constant specifies the domain-name suffix common to all the file server machines.
In the ABC Corporation example, all of the file server machines in the cell share the abc.com domain name suffix, so the server field combines a variable and constant: $SERVER.abc.com. To place the new volume on the machine fs1.abc.com, you then include -server fs1 as an argument to the uss add command, or place the value fs1 in the bulk input file add instruction's server field.
To place different users' volumes on different partitions, use the $PART variable in this field, and provide a value for it either with the -partition argument to the uss add command or in the partition field of the bulk input file add instruction. Because all full partition names start with the /vicep string, it is convenient to combine that string as a constant with the $PART variable.
The ABC Corporation example template combines the constant string /vicep and the $PART variable in this way, as /vicep$PART.
The ABC Corporation example grants a 5000 KB initial quota to every new user.
Specify the read/write path to the mount point, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to create the new mount point in a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.abc.com). If you use the $AUTO variable in this field, the directories named by each G instruction possibly already indicate the read/write path. For further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see Mounting Volumes.
If other parts of the mount point name also vary from user to user, you can use the $MTPT variable in this field, and provide a value with the uss add command's -mount argument or in the mount_point field of a bulk input file add instruction. Note, however, that when the $MTPT variable appears in subsequent instructions in the template (usually, in D, E, or F instructions), it instead takes as its value the complete contents of this field.
Combine constants and variables based on how you have decided to group home directories together in one or more parent directories. Note that the parent directories must already exist before you run a uss add or uss bulk command that references the template. Possibilities for grouping home directories include the following:
The $AUTO variable is designed to distribute home directories evenly in this manner. As explained in Evenly Distributing User Home Directories with the G Instruction, the uss command interpreter substitutes the directory that is defined by a preceding G template instruction and that currently has the fewest entries. The example ABC Corporation template illustrates this choice by using the value /afs/.abc.com/$AUTO/$USER.
Perhaps the simplest way to implement this scheme is to use the $MTPT variable to represent the letter or letters, as in /afs/.jkl.com/usr/$MTPT/$USER. Then provide the -user smith and -mount s/m arguments to the uss add command to create the mount point /afs/.jkl.com/usr/s/m/smith.
At minimum, grant all permissions to the new user by including the value $USER all in this field. The File Server automatically grants all permissions to the system:administrators group as well. You cannot grant permissions to the issuer of the uss command, because as the last step in account creation the uss command interpreter automatically deletes that user from any ACLs set during the creation process.
The ABC Corporation example uses the following value to grant all permissions to the new user and r (read) and l (lookup) permissions to the members of the abc:staff group:
$USER all abc:staff rl
Each D instruction in the template file creates a directory; there is no limit on the number of them in the template. If a D instruction creates a subdirectory in a new user's home directory (its intended use), then it must follow the V instruction. Creating a directory on the local disk of the machine where the uss command runs is not recommended for the reasons outlined in About Creating Local Disk Directories and Files.
The following discussion of the fields in a D instruction refers to one of the examples in the full account template in Example uss Templates:
D $MTPT/Mailbox 0700 $UID $USER all abc:staff none system:anyuser lik
The D instruction's syntax is as follows:
D pathname mode_bits owner ACL
where
Specify the read/write pathname to the directory, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to create a new directory in a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.abc.com). If you use the $MTPT variable in this field, the value in the V instruction's mount_point field possibly already indicates the read/write path. For further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see Mounting Volumes.
The ABC Corporation example uses the value $MTPT/Mailbox to place the Mailbox subdirectory in the user's home directory.
The ABC Corporation example uses the value 0700 to set the mode bits on the Mailbox subdirectory to rwxr-----.
If the directory resides in AFS, place the $UID variable in this field, as in the ABC Corporation example template. The Protection Server then automatically assigns an AFS UID unless you provide the -uid argument to the uss add command or fill in the uid field in the bulk input file add instruction. (If you are converting existing UNIX accounts, see the discussion of additional considerations in Converting Existing UNIX Accounts with uss.)
If the directory resides on the local disk, it is simplest to specify the username or UNIX UID under which you are issuing the uss command. For a discussion of the complications that arise from designating another user, see About Creating Local Disk Directories and Files.
At minimum, grant all permissions to the new user by including the value $USER all. You cannot grant permissions to the issuer of the uss command, because as the last step in account creation the uss command interpreter automatically deletes that user from any ACLs set during the creation process. An error message always appears if the directory is on the local disk, as detailed in About Creating Local Disk Directories and Files.
The ABC Corporation example uses the following value to grant all permissions to the new user, no permissions to the members of the abc:staff group, and the l (lookup), i (insert), and k (lock) permissions to the members of the system:anyuser group:
$USER all abc:staff none system:anyuser lik
It grants such extensive permissions to the system:anyuser group to enable any system user (including a mail-delivery daemon) to insert mail into the Mailbox directory. The absence of the r (read) permission prevents members of the system:anyuser group from reading the mail files.
Each F instruction in the template file creates a file by copying the contents of an existing prototype file; there is no limit on the number of them in the template, and each can refer to a different prototype. If an F instruction creates a file in a new user's home directory or a subdirectory of it (the intended use), then it must follow the V or D instruction that creates the parent directory. Creating a file on the local disk of the machine where the uss command runs is not recommended for the reasons detailed in About Creating Local Disk Directories and Files.
The E instruction also creates a file, but the two types of instruction have complementary advantages. Files created with an E instruction can be customized for each user, because variables can appear in the field that specifies the contents of the file. In contrast, the contents of a file created using the F instruction are the same for every user. An E file can be only a single line, however, whereas an F file can be any length.
The following discussion of the fields in a F instruction refers to one of the examples in the full account template in Example uss Templates:
F $MTPT/.login 0755 $UID /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto
The F instruction's syntax is as follows:
F pathname mode_bits owner prototype_file
where
Specify the read/write path to the file, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to create a new file in a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.abc.com). If you use the $MTPT variable in this field, the value in the V instruction's mount_point field possibly already indicates the read/write path. For further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see Mounting Volumes.
The ABC Corporation example uses the value $MTPT/.login to place a file called .login in the user's home directory.
The ABC Corporation example uses the value 0755 to set the mode bits on the .login file to rwxr-xr-x.
If the file resides in AFS, place the $UID variable in this field, as in the ABC Corporation example template. The Protection Server then automatically assigns an AFS UID unless you provide the -uid argument to the uss add command or fill in the uid field in the bulk input file add instruction. (If you are converting existing UNIX accounts, see the discussion of additional considerations in Converting Existing UNIX Accounts with uss.)
If the file resides on the local disk, it is simplest to specify the username or UNIX UID under which you are issuing the uss command. For a discussion of the complications that arise from designating another user, see About Creating Local Disk Directories and Files.
The ABC Corporation example references a prototype file called .login in the directory /afs/abc.com/admin/user/proto.
Each E instruction in the template file creates a file by echoing a specified single line into it; there is no limit on the number of them in the template. If an E instruction creates a file in a new user's home directory or a subdirectory of it (the intended use), then it must follow the V or D instruction that creates the parent directory. Creating a file on the local disk of the machine where the uss command runs is not recommended for the reasons detailed in About Creating Local Disk Directories and Files.
The F instruction also creates a file, but the two types of instruction have complementary advantages. Files created with an E instruction can be customized for each user, because variables can appear in the field that specifies the contents of the file. The command interpreter replaces the variables with appropriate values before creating the file. In contrast, the contents of a file created using the F instruction are the same for every user. An E file can be only a single line, however, whereas an F file can be any length.
The E instruction is particularly suited to creating an entry for the new user in the cell's common source password file, which is then copied to client machines to serve as the local password file (/etc/passwd or equivalent). The following discussion of the fields refers to an example of this type of use, from the ABC Corporation's full account template shown in Example uss Templates. For further discussion of how to incorporate the files created in this way into a common source password file, see Creating a Common Source Password File.
E /afs/.abc.com/common/etc/newaccts/passwd_$USER 0644 root \
"$USER:X:$UID:11:$NAME:$MTPT:/bin/csh"
The E instruction's syntax is as follows:
E pathname mode_bits owner "contents"
where
Specify the read/write path to the file, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to create a new file in a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.abc.com). If you use the $MTPT variable in this field, the value in the V instruction's mount_point field possibly already indicates the read/write path. For further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see Mounting Volumes.
The ABC Corporation example writes the file created by the E instruction to /afs/.abc.com/common/etc/newaccts directory, naming it after the new user:
/afs/.abc.com/common/etc/newaccts/passwd_$USER
The ABC Corporation example uses the value 0644 to set the mode bits on the passwd_user file to r-xr--r--.
If the file resides in AFS and is to be owned by the user, place the $UID variable in this field. The Protection Server then automatically assigns an AFS UID unless you provide the -uid argument to the uss add command or fill in the uid field in the bulk input file add instruction. (If you are converting existing UNIX accounts, see the discussion of additional considerations in Converting Existing UNIX Accounts with uss.)
If the file resides on the local disk, specify the username or UNIX UID under which you are issuing the uss command. For a discussion of the complications that arise from designating another user, see About Creating Local Disk Directories and Files.
The ABC Corporation example is creating an AFS file intended for incorporation into the common password file, rather than for direct use by the new user. It therefore designates the local superuser root as the owner of the new file. Designating an alternate owner on an AFS file does not introduce complications: issuing the chown command on AFS files requires membership in the system:administrators group, but the issuer of the uss command is necessarily authenticated as a member of that group.
The ABC Corporation example has the following value in the contents field, to create a password file entry:
$USER:X:$UID:10:$NAME:$MTPT:/bin/csh
Each L instruction in the template file creates a hard link between two files, as achieved by the standard UNIX ln command. The S instruction creates a symbolic link between two files, as achieved by the standard UNIX ln -s command. An explanation of links is beyond the scope of this document, but the basic effect in both cases is to create a second name for an existing file, so that it can be accessed via either name. Creating a link does not create a second copy of the file.
There is no limit on the number of L or S instructions in a template file. If the link is in a new user's home directory or a subdirectory of it (the intended use), then it must follow the V or D instruction that creates the parent directory, and the F, E, or X instruction that creates the file being linked to. Creating a file on the local disk of the machine where the uss command runs is not recommended, for the reasons detailed in About Creating Local Disk Directories and Files.
Note that AFS allows hard links only between files that reside in the same directory. This restriction is necessary to eliminate the confusion that results from associating two potentially different ACLs (those of the two directories) with the same file. Symbolic links are legal between two files that reside in different directories and even in different volumes. The ACL on the actual file applies to the link as well.
You do not set the owner or mode bits on a link created with an L or S instruction, as you do for directories or files. The uss command interpreter automatically records the UNIX UID of the uss command's issuer as the owner, and sets the mode bits to lrwxrwxrwx (777).
The following discussion of the fields in an L or S instruction refers to an example in the full account template from Example uss Templates, namely
S /afs/abc.com/public/$USER $MTPT/public
The L and S instructions' syntax is as follows:
L existing_file link S existing_file link
where
Do not create a symbolic link to a file whose name begins with the number sign (#) or percent sign (%). When the Cache Manager reads a symbolic link whose contents begin with one of those characters, it interprets it as a regular or read/write mount point, respectively.
The ABC Corporation example creates a link to the publicly readable volume created and mounted by a preceding X instruction, by specifying the path to its mount point:
/afs/abc.com/public/$USER
Specify the read/write path to the link, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to create a new link in a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.abc.com). If you use the $MTPT variable in this field, the value in the V instruction's mount_point field possibly already indicates the read/write path. For further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see Mounting Volumes.
The ABC Corporation example creates a link called public in the user's home directory:
$MTPT/public
The A instruction in the template file enhances cell security by imposing the following restrictions on users' password choice and authentication attempts.
The following discussion of the fields in an A instruction refers to the example in the full account template from Example uss Templates, which sets a password lifetime of 250 days, prohibits reuse of passwords, limits the number of failed authentication attempts to nine, and creates a lockout time of 25 minutes if the authentication limit is exceeded:
A $USER 250 noreuse 9 25
The A instruction's syntax is as follows:
A username password_lifetime password_reuse failures locktime
where
Specify an integer from the range 1 through 254 to specify the number of days until expiration, the value 0 to indicate that the password never expires, or the value $PWEXPIRES to read in the number of days from the uss add or uss bulk command's -pwexpires argument. If the A instruction does not appear in the template file, by default the user's password never expires.
The ABC Corporation example sets a password lifetime of 250 days.
The ABC Corporation example prohibits password reuse.
Specify an integer from the range 1 through 254 to specify the number of failures permitted, or the value 0 to indicate that there is no limit to the number of unsuccessful attempts. If the A instruction does not appear in the template file, the default is to allow an unlimited number of failures.
The ABC Corporation example sets the limit to nine failed attempts.
Specify a number of hours and minutes (hh:mm) or minutes only (mm), from the range 01 (one minute) through 36:00 (36 hours). The Authentication Server automatically reduces any larger value to 36:00 and also rounds up any nonzero value to the next highest multiple of 8.5 minutes. A value of 0 (zero) sets an infinite lockout time, in which case an administrator must always issue the kas unlock command to unlock the account.
The ABC Corporation example sets the lockout time to 25 minutes, which is rounded up to 25 minutes 30 seconds (the next highest multiple of 8.5 minutes).
The X instruction in the template file executes a command, which can be a standard UNIX command, a shell script or program, or an AFS command. The command string can include standard template variables, and any number of X instructions can appear in a template file. If an instruction manipulates an element created by another instruction, it must appear after that instruction.
The following discussion of the field in an X instruction refers to the example in the full account template from Example uss Templates:
X "create_public_vol $USER $1 $2"
The X instruction's syntax is as follows:
X "command"
where command specifies the command to execute. Surround it with double quotes if it contains spaces. The command string can contain any of the standard variables, which the uss command interpreter resolves before passing the command on to the appropriate other command interpreter, but it cannot contain newline characters.
The ABC Corporation example invokes a script called create_public_vol, which creates another volume associated with the new user and mounts it in a publicly readable part of the ABC Corporation's filespace:
"create_public_vol $USER $1 $2"
It uses the $USER variable to read in the username and make it part of both the volume name and mount point name. The uss command issuer supplies a file server machine name for the $1 variable and a partition name for the $2 variable, to specify the site for the new volume.
After you have created a template file, you can create an individual account by issuing the uss add command (for template creation instructions see Constructing a uss Template File). When you issue the command, the uss command interpreter contacts various AFS servers to perform the following actions:
To review which types of instructions to include in a template to create different file system objects, see Constructing a uss Template File. If the template is empty, the uss add command creates an authentication-only account consisting of Protection Database and Authentication Database entries.
When you issue the uss add command, provide a value for each variable in the template file by including the corresponding command-line argument. If you fail to supply a value for a variable, the uss command interpreter substitutes a null string, which usually causes the account creation to fail. If you include a command line argument for which the corresponding variable does not appear in the template, it is ignored.
Table 4 summarizes the mappings between variables and the arguments
to the uss add command. It is adapted from Table 3, but includes only those variables that take their value
from command line arguments.
Table 4. Command-line argument sources for uss template variables
| Variable | Command-line Argument |
| $MTPT | -mount (for occurrence in V instruction) |
| $NAME | -realname if provided; otherwise -user |
| $PART | -partition |
| $PWEXPIRES | -pwexpires |
| $SERVER | -server |
| $UID | -uid if provided; otherwise allocated by Protection Server |
| $USER | -user |
| $1 through $9 | -var |
% klog admin_user Password: admin_password
The following list specifies the necessary privileges and indicates how to check that you have them.
% pts membership system:administrators
% bos listusers <machine name>
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a (administer) and by default also the l (lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.
% cd template_directory
The uss add operation creates an Authentication Database entry. The Authentication Server performs its own authentication rather than accepting your existing AFS token. By default, it authenticates your local (UNIX) identity, which possibly does not correspond to an AFS-privileged administrator. Include the -admin argument to name an identity that has the ADMIN flag on its Authentication Database entry. To verify that an entry has the flag, issue the kas examine command as described in To check if the ADMIN flag is set.
% uss add -user <login name> -admin <administrator to authenticate> \
[-realname <full name in quotes>] [-pass <initial passwd>] \
[-pwexpires <password expires in [0..254] days (0 => never)>] \
[-server <FileServer for home volume>] \
[-partition <FileServer's disk partition for home volume>] \
[-mount <home directory mount point>] \
[-uid <uid to assign the user>] \
[-template <pathname of template file>] \
[-var <auxiliary argument pairs (Numval)>+] [-dryrun] \
[-overwrite]
Administrator's (admin_user) password: admin_password
where
This argument provides the value for the $USER variable in the template file. For suggestions on standardizing usernames, see Choosing Usernames and Naming Other Account Components.
This argument provides the value for the $NAME variable in the template file. For information about using this argument and variable as part of an automated process for creating entries in a local password file such as /etc/passwd, see Creating a Common Source Password File.
Possible choices for initial passwords include the username, a string of digits such as those from a Social Security number, or a standard string such as changeme, which is the default if you do not provide this argument. There is no corresponding variable in the template file.
Instruct users to change their passwords to a truly secret string as soon as they authenticate with AFS for the first time. The IBM AFS User Guide explains how to use the kpasswd command to change an AFS password.
This argument provides the value for the $PWEXPIRES variable in the template file.
This argument provides the value for the $SERVER variable in the template file. To avoid having to type a fully qualified hostname on the command line, combine the $SERVER variable with a constant (for example, the cell's domain name) in the server field of the V instruction in the template file. For an example, see Creating a Volume with the V Instruction.
This argument provides the value for the $PART variable in the template file.
This argument provides the value for the $MTPT variable in the template file, but only when it appears in the V instruction's mount_point field. When the $MTPT variable appears in any subsequent instructions, it takes its value from the V instruction's mount_point field, rather than directly from this argument. For more details, and for suggestions about how to use this argument and the $MTPT variable, see Creating a Volume with the V Instruction.
If you have a reason to use this argument (perhaps because the user already has a UNIX UID), first use the pts examine command to verify that there is no existing account with the desired AFS UID; if there is, the account creation process terminates with an error.
This argument provides the value for the $UID variable in the template file.
If you specify a filename other than uss.template but without a pathname, the command interpreter searches for it in the indicated directories. If you provide a full or partial pathname, the command interpreter consults the specified file only; it interprets partial pathnames relative to the current working directory.
If the specified template file is empty (zero-length), the command creates Protection and Authentication Database entries only.
To learn how to construct a template file, see Constructing a uss Template File.
For each instance of this argument, provide two parts in the indicated order, separated by a space:
To learn about suggested uses for the number variables, see the description of the V instruction's quota field in Creating a Volume with the V Instruction.
% vos release <volume name or ID>
| Note: | This step can be necessary even if the home directory's parent directory is not itself a mount point for a replicated volume (and is easier to overlook in that case). For example, the ABC Corporation template puts the mount points for user volumes in the /afs/abc.com/usr directory. Because that is a regular directory rather than a mount point, it resides in the root.cell volume mounted at the /afs/abc.com directory. That volume is replicated, so after changing it by creating a new mount point the administrator must issue the vos release command. |
Even if you do not use the automated method, set the user's UNIX UID to match the AFS UID assigned automatically by the Protection Server or assigned with the -uid argument. The new user's AFS UID appears in the trace produced by the uss add output, or you can use the pts examine command to display it, as described in To display a Protection Database entry.
The uss delete command deletes an AFS user account according to the arguments you provide on the command line; unlike the uss add command, it does not use a template file. When you issue the command, the uss command interpreter contacts various AFS servers to perform the following actions:
Before issuing the uss delete command, you can also perform the following optional tasks:
You can automate some of these tasks by including exec instructions in the bulk input file and using the uss bulk command to delete the account. See Creating and Deleting Multiple Accounts with the uss bulk Command.
% klog admin_user Password: admin_password
The following list specifies the necessary privileges and indicates how to check that you have them.
% pts membership system:administrators
% bos listusers <machine name>
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a (administer) and by default also the l (lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.
The delete operation always removes the user's entry from the Authentication Database. The Authentication Server performs its own authentication rather than accepting your existing AFS token. By default, it authenticates your local (UNIX) identity, which possibly does not correspond to an AFS-privileged administrator. Include the -admin argument to name an identity that has the ADMIN flag on its Authentication Database entry. To verify that an entry has the flag, issue the kas examine command as described in To check if the ADMIN flag is set.
% uss delete -user <login name> \
-mountpoint <mountpoint for user's volume> \
[-savevolume] -admin <administrator to authenticate> \
[-dryrun]
Administrator's (admin_user) password: admin_password
where
Specify the read/write path to the mount point, to avoid the failure that results when you attempt to delete a mount point from a read-only volume. By convention, you indicate the read/write path by placing a period before the cell name at the pathname's second level (for example, /afs/.abc.com). For further discussion of the concept of read/write and read-only paths through the filespace, see Mounting Volumes.
% vos release <volume name or ID>
| Note: | This step can be necessary even if the home directory's parent directory is not itself a mount point for a replicated volume (and is easier to overlook in that case). For example, the ABC Corporation template puts the mount points for user volumes in the /afs/abc.com/usr directory. Because that is a regular directory rather than a mount point, it resides in the root.cell volume mounted at the /afs/abc.com directory. That volume is replicated, so after changing it by deleting a mount point the administrator must issue the vos release command. |
The uss bulk command allows you to create and delete many accounts at once. Before executing the command, you must
You can include five types of instructions in a bulk input file: add, delete, exec, savevolume, and delvolume. The following sections discuss their uses.
Creating a User Account with the add Instruction
Each add instruction creates a single user account, and so is basically the equivalent of issuing one uss add command. There is no limit to the number of add instructions in the bulk input file.
As indicated by the following syntax statement, the order of the instruction's fields matches the order of arguments to the uss add command (though some of the command's arguments do not have a corresponding field). Like the uss add command's arguments, many of the fields provide a value for a variable in the uss template file. Each instruction must be a single line in the file (have a newline character only at its end); it appears on multiple lines here only for legibility.
add username[:full_name][:initial_password][:password_expires] [:file_server][:partition][:mount_point][:uid] [:var1][:var2][:var3][:var4][:var5][:var6][:var7][:var8][:var9][:]
For a complete description of the acceptable values in each field, see the uss Bulk Input File reference page in the IBM AFS Administration Reference, or the description of the corresponding arguments to the uss add command, in To create an AFS account with the uss add command. Following are some basic notes:
Deleting a User Account with the delete Instruction
Each delete instruction deletes a single user account, and so is basically the equivalent of issuing one uss delete command. There is no limit to the number of delete instructions in the bulk input file.
Like all instructions in the bulk input file, each delete instruction must be a single line in the file (have a newline character only at its end), even though it can cover multiple lines on a display screen. The curly braces ({ }) indicate two mutually exclusive choices.
delete username:mount_point_path[:{ savevolume | delvolume }][:]
For a complete description of the acceptable values in each field, see the uss Bulk Input File reference page in the IBM AFS Administration Reference or the description of the corresponding arguments to the uss delete command, in To delete an AFS account. Following are some basic notes:
Running a Command or Script with the exec Instruction
The exec instruction runs the indicated AFS command, compiled program, or UNIX shell script or command. The command processor assumes the AFS and local identities of the issuer of the uss bulk command, who must have the privileges required to run the command.
The instruction's syntax is as follows:
exec command
It is not necessary to surround the command string with double quotes (" ") or other delimiters.
Setting the Default Treatment of Volumes with the delvolume and savevolume Instructions
The savevolume and delvolume instructions set the default treatment of volumes referenced by the delete instructions that follow them in the bulk input file. Their syntax is as follows:
savevolume delvolume
Both instructions are optional and take no arguments. If neither appears in the bulk input file, then by default all volumes and VLDB entries referenced by delete instructions are removed. If the savevolume instruction appears in the file, it prevents the removal of the volume and VLDB entry referenced by all subsequent delete instructions in the file. The delvolume instruction explicitly establishes the default (which is deletion) for subsequent delete instructions.
The effect of either instruction lasts until the end of the bulk input file, or until its opposite appears. To override the prevailing default for a particular delete instruction, put the savevolume or delvolume string in the instruction's third field. (You can also use multiple instances of the savevolume and delvolume instructions to toggle back and forth between default preservation and deletion of volumes.)
To create an authentication-only account, use an add instruction like the following example, which includes only the first (username) argument. The user's real name is set to match the username (anderson) and her initial password is set to the string changeme.
add anderson
The following example also creates an authentication-only account, but sets nondefault values for the real name and initial password.
add smith:John Smith:js_pswd
The next two example add instructions require that the administrator of the ABC Corporation cell (abc.com) has written a uss template file with the following V instruction in it:
V user.$USER $SERVER.abc.com /vicep$PART 10000 /afs/.abc.com/usr/$3/$USER \
$UID $USER all
To create accounts for users named John Smith from the Marketing Department and Pat Jones from the Finance Department, the appropriate add instructions in the bulk input file are as follows:
add smith:John Smith:::fs1:a:::::marketing add jones:Pat Jones:::fs3:c:::::finance
The new account for Smith consists of Protection and Authentication Database entries called smith. His initial password is the default string changeme, and the Protection Server generates his AFS UID. His home volume, called user.smith, has a 10,000 KB quota, resides on partition /vicepa of file server machine fs1.abc.com, and is mounted at /afs/.abc.com/usr/marketing/smith. The final $UID $USER all part of the V instruction gives him ownership of his home directory and all permissions on its ACL. The account for jones is similar, except that it resides on partition /vicepc of file server machine fs3.abc.com and is mounted at /afs/.abc.com/usr/finance/jones.
Notice that the fields corresponding to mount_point, uid, var1, and var2 are empty (between the values a and marketing on the first example line) because the corresponding variables do not appear in the V instruction in the template file. The initial_passwd and password_expires fields are also empty.
If you wish, you can specify values or empty fields for all nine number variables in an add instruction. In that case, the bulk input file instructions are as follows:
add smith:John Smith:::fs1:a:::::marketing:::::: add jones:Pat Jones:::fs3:c:::::finance::::::
The following example is a section of a bulk input file with a number of delete instructions and a savevolume instruction. Because the first three instructions appear before the savevolume instruction and their third field is blank, the corresponding volumes and VLDB entries are removed. The delete instruction for user terry follows the savevolume instruction, so her volume is not removed, but the volume for user johnson is, because the delvolume string in the third field of the delete instruction overrides the current default.
delete smith:/afs/abc.com/usr/smith delete pat:/afs/abc.com/usr/pat delete rogers:/afs/abc.com/usr/rogers savevolume delete terry:/afs/abc.com/usr/terry delete johnson:/afs/abc.com/usr/johnson:delvolume
The following example exec instruction is useful as a separator between a set of add instructions and a set of delete instructions. It generates a message on the standard output stream that informs you of the uss bulk command's progress.
exec echo "Additions completed; beginning deletions..."
% klog admin_user Password: admin_password
The following list specifies the necessary privileges and indicates how to check that you have them.
% pts membership system:administrators
% bos listusers <machine name>
% fs listacl [<dir/file path>]
Members of the system:administrators group always implicitly have the a (administer) and by default also the l (lookup) permission on every ACL and can use the fs setacl command to grant other rights as necessary.
% cd template_directory
The bulk operation always manipulates user entries in the Authentication Database. The Authentication Server performs its own authentication rather than accepting your existing AFS token. By default, it authenticates your local (UNIX) identity, which possibly does not correspond to an AFS-privileged administrator. Include the -admin argument to name an identity that has the ADMIN flag on its Authentication Database entry. To verify that an entry has the flag, issue the kas examine command as described in To check if the ADMIN flag is set.
% uss bulk <bulk input file> \
[-template <pathname of template file>] \
-admin <administrator to authenticate> \
[-dryrun] [-overwrite] \
[-pwexpires <password expires in [0..254] days (0 => never)>] \
[-pipe]
Administrator's (admin_user) password: admin_password
where
When the password becomes invalid (expires), the user is unable to authenticate, but has 30 more days in which to issue the kpasswd command to change the password (after that, only an administrator can change it).
% vos release <volume name or ID>
| Note: | This step can be necessary even if the home directory's parent directory is not itself a mount point for a replicated volume (and is easier to overlook in that case). For example, the ABC Corporation template puts the mount points for user volumes in the /afs/abc.com/usr directory. Because that is a regular directory rather than a mount point, it resides in the root.cell volume mounted at the /afs/abc.com directory. That volume is replicated, so after changing it by creating or deleting a mount point, the administrator must issue the vos release command. |
Even if you do not use the automated method, set the user's UNIX UID to match the AFS UID assigned automatically by the Protection Server or assigned with the -uid argument. The new user's AFS UID appears in the trace produced by the uss add output or you can use the pts examine command to display it, as described in To display a Protection Database entry.
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