username "hal" is reserved and cannot be used

[Hal Blackburn]

Hi, my name is Hal. When I try to install Ubuntu 7.4 I get this:

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/8773/screenshotwm3.png

"The username you entered (hal) is reserved for use by the system. Please select a different one."

I would quite like to be able to use my own name as my username. Reserving real names for the system is IMO not a very good, or user friendly idea.

Hal

[Roberto Sarrionandia (rbs-tito)]

An interesting conundrum. I believe it is the "hardware abstraction layer". I'm not sure if this is a bug or not.

[Xeno Campanoli (xeno)]

I cannot reproduce this anywhere in my installed Feisty or Gutsy, and I've tried useradd, adduser, and the Ghome user adding GUI. They all add "hal" just fine. However, it sounds like this rejection diagnostic is from the install procedure. You should find you can add your name after the install. Perhaps to expedite your problem, you could add some other user for now, and then when you get the install done you can add "hal", which I assure you works for me. Meanwhile, someone needs to try to reproduce this on an install, and I may not have any other machines to do so on...

[Xeno Campanoli (xeno)]

I was able to confirm this on a Gutsy install just now. That means it does in fact exist on installs, but is not a limitation elsewhere. Obviously some systemmy users need to be chosen, but in this case, since it's a temporary username, and one which is not restricted after the install, I recommend using something an actual user is not likely to want, like: hwabslayer or even hardwareabstractionlayer. Since this is to easy to fix, I recommend it be judged a low priority bug and changed thusly.

[Evan (ev)]

Xeno,
It most certainly is a limitation elsewhere and is not a temporary username. The username check does not exist outside of the installer, but the problem of using a reserved system name persists.

[Xeno Campanoli (xeno)]

I am not sure that I'm being clear here. I am seeing the username "hal" only occurring in the install, and not being required thereafter. Also, it is the nature of Unix that there are typical reserved usernames like "root" and "games" and "mail". You are not going to change that as it is the very nature of Unix-like OSs, at least with the standard security password system. You may be able to utilize a customized security plugin, and who knows you may be able to build one that will become more dominant than the one that presently exists, but as it is the nature of the one that presently exists, I believe we can say this is not a bug that it is so.

On the other hand, it is a bug if we are needlessly using usernames that may be in popular demand. I am not suggesting Mr "Hal" user the hwabslayer, but rather the maintainers of the "HAL" system, and perhaps with a polite request they will reply. Also, given, for now, that "hal" can be added after the install, I hope Harold will find it convenient for now to add his desired username at that time.

Please if you have other meaning from your statement, then elaborate. I see no problem adding "hal" after the install, so I presume that's not what you mean.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Thanks for your report. This is also bug 110000.