Please consider using the slmodemd group instead of Slmodemd

[Brad Needham]

Binary package hint: sl-modem-daemon

Ubuntu Hardy

users and groups
unlock
manage groups
Slmodemd
Properties

found after unlocking
checking various groups for user permissions
Slmodemd group settings cannot be changed
can be viewed but have to cancel to leave

clicking ok gives you this

Group name has invalid characters
Please set a valid group name consisting of lower
case letter followed by lower case letters and numbers

[out of curiosity what is a lower case number :-)]

I believe the capital S on Slmodemd may be the issue :-] or :-)ete or even rotfl

Ubuntu Hardy
 lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 8.04.1
Release: 8.04

apt-cache policy sl-modem-daemon
sl-modem-daemon:
  Installed: 2.9.10+2.9.9d+e-pre2-5ubuntu4
  Candidate: 2.9.10+2.9.9d+e-pre2-5ubuntu4
  Version table:
 *** 2.9.10+2.9.9d+e-pre2-5ubuntu4 0
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com hardy/restricted Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

i expected to be able to click ok whether modifying or not modifying the group settings
as per all the other groups i visited.

Slmodemd group does not allow this

This may affect other permissions if group name is incorrect format.

ie i am having more difficulty consistently with ALSA and atiixp with Hardy
than with Feisty or Gutsy (ie slmodemd normally took care of atiixp-modem
but does not seem to do so as nicely in Hardy but up to now i have
never looked at the group permissions for this group)

[أحمد المحمودي (Ahmed El-Mahmoudy) (aelmahmoudy)]

Hello,

  I prepared a package for the latest upstream release of sl-modem.
  The package can be found on mentors.debian.net:
  - URL: http://mentors.debian.net/debian/pool/non-free/s/sl-modem
  - Source repository: deb-src http://mentors.debian.net/debian unstable main contrib non-free
  - dget http://mentors.debian.net/debian/pool/non-free/s/sl-modem/sl-modem_2.9.11~20080817-1.dsc

  Please test it and report if your bugs got solved and any suggestions you've got.

  Thanks.

--
 أحمد المحمودي (Ahmed El-Mahmoudy)
  Digital design engineer
  SySDSoft, Inc.
 GPG KeyID: 0x9DCA0B27 (@ subkeys.pgp.net)
 GPG Fingerprint: 087D 3767 8CAC 65B1 8F6C 156E D325 C3C8 9DCA 0B27

[أحمد المحمودي (Ahmed El-Mahmoudy) (aelmahmoudy)]

Hello,

  For those who need a binary package, I have uploaded the package to my
  PPA (https://launchpad.net/~aelmahmoudy/+archive), also fixed an FTBFS
  for Intrepid. Binary packages for Hardy and Intrepid are available.

--
 أحمد المحمودي (Ahmed El-Mahmoudy)
  Digital design engineer
  SySDSoft, Inc.
 GPG KeyID: 0x9DCA0B27 (@ subkeys.pgp.net)
 GPG Fingerprint: 087D 3767 8CAC 65B1 8F6C 156E D325 C3C8 9DCA 0B27

[Brad Needham (fishrcynic)]

sorry had to find the usb drive with intrepid on it (had upgraded from hardy)
had an issue with the source compile - fixed a minor issue and installed - but did not change the group name
however manually changing the group in /etc/group to lowercase worked like a charm
(upgrade might not have been the answer)

i will remove the package and install your package and see how it installs

i do thank you for taking the time to look at this.

[Brad Needham (fishrcynic)]

at present i have no means to test this as i have no machines requiring this package anymore.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Fish, you can still test this particular problem on any machine, really. You don't need one with a smartmodem. Can you please test for this issue and report back?

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

It's simply enough to verify this by installing the package and checking /etc/shadow. Result: It's still the same group name even in precise. I'm appalled by Ahmed again not even bothering to check his own package before throwing yet another untested binary over the fence... I hope your attitude on bug verification has improved recently.

I'm not yet setting this ticket to verified status because it's apparently open for debate whether or not capital letters are allowed by policy. I certainly cannot see the reason for a group named Slmodemd, it looks funny.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Slmodemd is a systems group. I assume the maintainer of the sl-modem package chose the initial capital letter intentionally to express this (read more in http://bugs.debian.org/248809 for a similar case). The bug is in the users-admin binary for "enforcing" policy when there is none. I've reported this as bug 879453. I'll confirm this ticket as a wishlist for the maintainer to consider whether or not to continue with the Slmodemd name.

I'll open a ticket on that.

[Brad Needham (fishrcynic)]

I had forgotten about this issue - as luck would have it I have re-inherited the machine that actually uses this. I have to do a little soldering first but will be attempting oneiric on it as well. I guess a small s just doesn't have the same appeal as a big S. (and I thought this was a cold Case)
I apologize for missing the 2010 post - I know you know but if it helps i still get this "message" on my current desktop when looking at the group. (oneiric amd64). I will be using this on the actual machine in approximately a week - have to tear down the laptop to solder.
Thank you for continued interest.
As per bug 879453 i don't think anything will change in the status of this but hey thanks for the info.