Installation error: “Unable to set user password”

[Member dfpalacioh]

I’m trying to install antiX again, but in the final step it appears this message: “Sorry, unable to set user password”.

Previously, I had a working antiX on my computer. I was messing around with the settings of NVIDIA and I rebooted the machine. It booted to a grub error screen. I found a solution for the grub error, but later there was a login error. I looked further in the partition and, somehow, the passwd file was missing. I could not find a way to fix that problem, so I decided to re-install antiX. But now I always get the error message that I have previously mentioned.

I have tried a couple of solutions that I found. I checked if the iso that I downloaded was corrupted, but the md5sum is fine. I tried to set the password from the terminal but I got a “bad message” error.

[Member sybok]

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Hi, few tips:
1) Checksum your downloaded ISO-file (e.g. ‘sha256sum <ISO file>’ or ‘md5sum <ISO file>’) used to create the live medium and compare with the provided in the download page/mirror.
If 1) OK, then
2) see similar post this post dealing with the same issue
and if the problem still persists
3) provide more information inxi -Fxz when booted into the live-media
4) check for corruption of (bad blocks on) the Seagate drive and ask the system to ignore them, see e.g. this link.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by sybok.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by sybok. Reason: 1) slightly expanded/clarified
• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by sybok. Reason: Item 4) added

[Member dfpalacioh]

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Hello,
Thank you for the reply. Regarding your tips:

1) I have checked both, sha256sum and md5sum, and they are correct.
2) I have read that post and others from MX forum. The solution that I tried was: without closing the installer and after a “sudo su”, I used the command “chroot /mnt/antiX passwd myusername”. The terminal gave me a “bad message” or a “segmentation fault”. I made a 20GiB partition for the /, so I think that the problem is not related to a lack of space.
3) The result of the command:

System:
  Host: antix1 Kernel: 4.9.235-antix.1-486-smp i686 bits: 32 compiler: gcc 
  v: 8.3.0 Desktop: IceWM 1.8.3 
  Distro: antiX-19.3_386-full Manolis Glezos 15 October 2020 
  base: Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: ECS model: P4M800PRO-M478 v: 1.0 serial: <filter> 
  BIOS: American Megatrends v: 080012 date: 12/13/2005 
CPU:
  Topology: Single Core model: Intel Pentium 4 bits: 32 type: MCP 
  arch: Netburst Smithfield rev: 1 L2 cache: 1024 KiB 
  flags: pae sse sse2 sse3 bogomips: 5400 
  Speed: 2700 MHz min/max: N/A Core speed (MHz): 1: 2700 
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA NV44A [GeForce 6200] vendor: XFX Pine driver: nouveau 
  v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.4 driver: nouveau 
  unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa resolution: 1440x900~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: NV4A v: 2.1 Mesa 18.3.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: VIA VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio 
  vendor: Elite Systems K8M800-M2 driver: snd_via82xx v: kernel 
  bus ID: 00:11.5 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.9.235-antix.1-486-smp 
Network:
  Device-1: VIA VT6102/VT6103 [Rhine-II] vendor: Elite Systems 
  driver: via-rhine v: N/A port: ee00 bus ID: 00:12.0 
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 152.84 GiB used: 46.1 MiB (0.0%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST3160815AS size: 149.05 GiB 
  ID-2: /dev/sdb type: USB vendor: Generic model: Flash Disk size: 3.79 GiB 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 1.55 GiB used: 2.1 MiB (0.1%) fs: overlay source: ERR-102 
  ID-2: swap-1 size: 1024.0 MiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda1 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 30.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nouveau temp: 32 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Info:
  Processes: 127 Uptime: 3m Memory: 1.97 GiB used: 108.9 MiB (5.4%) 
  Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 8.3.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.3 
  inxi: 3.0.36

Thank your for your help, regardless of our time difference.

[Member sybok]

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Hi,
I’ve added step 4) to my previous post (wanted to keep the together) for easier reference.

5) The PC is not very new, still you may update and remaster the live USB.
There could be a bug in your current code/installer.
Engage in step 5) if you have means to create new live USB in case the remaster goes wrong.
@5) Also, it helped me once to “upgrade” to a newer kernel (better HW support) but that applied for a very recent notebook.

Apart from that, I do not know… 🙁

• This reply was modified 2 years, 1 month ago by sybok. Reason: Expand item 5) - kernel

[Member Xecure]

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Hello.

dfpalacioh wrote:

I’m trying to install antiX again, but in the final step it appears this message: “Sorry, unable to set user password”.

I understand you are installing directly to your hard drive from a DVD/USB made with the official antiX 19.3 full i386 ISO and not a personal snapshot. When booted on the live system, using the Installer, after a certain point the error “Unable to set user password” pops up and doesn’t let you continue? Is this correct? Or does this error occur after installing and rebooting?

I understand this is a reinstallation. Are root (/) and home (/home) partitions separate or are you only using one partition to host everything? Are you keeping your home partition as is or are you replacing it completely?

I think these questions haven’t been answered, and probably may help resolve this better.

Also, if you have already solved your problem (and this post is no longer needed), for your nvidia graphics card it is better you install a legacy nvidia driver, as described in this post.
https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/nvidia-geforce-6800-antix-19-2-32bit/#post-45180

antiX Live system enthusiast.
General Live Boot Parameters for antiX.

[Member dfpalacioh]

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Hi,
Exactly, the installer fails at the last moment. I have seen the logs and it fails with the command “chroot /mnt/antiX chpasswd”. I’m using one partition to host everything and replacing everything.

I think that the problem is the hard drive because I have tried to install Lubuntu and even Windows XP and both failed. I have run several tests on the hard drive and everything seems OK. I’m going to leave the pc checking for badblocks.

I’ll come back to you when finish the checking.

Again, thank you for your help.

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