[Bug 824477] Re: sudo is remakably unhelpful when the target app is missing

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

** Changed in: sudo (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Confirmed

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/824477

Title:
  sudo is remakably unhelpful when the target app is missing

Status in sudo package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  sudoers.d contains:

  backup ALL=NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/rsync --config=/etc/rsync-backup.conf
  --server --daemon .

  server# su backup
  server$ sudo /usr/bin/rsync --config=/etc/rsync-backup.conf --server --daemon .
  [sudo] password for backup:

  wtf? This setup works on all my other servers, why is it prompting for
  a password here? Let's check the auth.log

  Aug 11 11:35:19 server sudo: pam_unix(sudo:auth): conversation failed
  Aug 11 11:35:19 server sudo: pam_unix(sudo:auth): auth could not identify password for [backup]

  "conversation failed" means nothing to me, and backup has password-
  based login disabled, so not having a password is intentional...

  After lots of messing around, I *accidentally* stumbled across the
  fact that /usr/bin/rsync was missing. If it weren't for this accident,
  I probably never would have figured it out. Can we please have an
  error message more useful than "conversation failed"? Even now that I
  know what the problem was, I have no idea how that message was
  supposed to help me find it...

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
  Package: sudo 1.7.4p4-5ubuntu7.1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-4.5-generic 3.0.0-rc6
  Uname: Linux 3.0.0-4-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Thu Aug 11 12:44:46 2011
  EcryptfsInUse: Yes
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
   PATH=(custom, user)
   LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: sudo
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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