[Samba] smbpasswd doesn't prompt root for password

[Alexander Skwar]

Hello.

When I run smbpasswd from samba 3.0.23a on a MIPSEL system running
Linux 2.4.20 as root, I'm NEVER asked for a password. Even when I
create a new user in smbpasswd, I'm not asked:

root at HD.bei.digitalprojects.com:/etc/samba# strings smbpasswd
root:0:AAD3B435B51404EEAAD3B435B51404EE:31D6CFE0D16AE931B73C59D7E0C089C0:[U          ]:LCT-44D63D42:
bin:1:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
daemon:2:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
adm:3:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
sync:5:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
nobody:99:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
root at HD.bei.digitalprojects.com:/etc/samba# smbpasswd -a askwar
Added user askwar.
root at HD.bei.digitalprojects.com:/etc/samba# smbpasswd askwar
root at HD.bei.digitalprojects.com:/etc/samba# strings smbpasswd
root:0:AAD3B435B51404EEAAD3B435B51404EE:31D6CFE0D16AE931B73C59D7E0C089C0:[U          ]:LCT-44D63D42:
bin:1:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
daemon:2:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
adm:3:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
sync:5:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
nobody:99:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:[DU         ]:LCT-00000000:
askwar:1000:AAD3B435B51404EEAAD3B435B51404EE:31D6CFE0D16AE931B73C59D7E0C089C0:[U          ]:LCT-44D63EAE:

When I run smbpasswd as a user, eg. as Unix user "askwar", I AM prompted
for a password.

askwar at HD.bei.digitalprojects.com:~/src/samba-3.0.23a/source$ smbpasswd
Old SMB password:

But as I don't know the "Old SMB password", I'm somewhat at a loss... :)

I also cannot feed the password over stdin as root:

root at HD.bei.digitalprojects.com:/etc/samba# echo foo | smbpasswd -s askwar
Mismatch - password unchanged.
Unable to get new password.

What's happening here?

Thanks a lot,

Alexander Skwar
-- 
Asket:
  schwächlicher Charakter, der der Versuchung erliegt,
  sich ein Vergnügen zu versagen.