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To: "John Campbell" <jpc@xzuberant.com>
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From: Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-ports-local@be-well.ilk.org>
Date: 08 Nov 2005 17:30:59 -0500
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Cc: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: httpd: bad user name nobody (apache13-modssl port)
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"John Campbell" <jpc@xzuberant.com> writes:

> I recently upgrade apache13-modssl to version 1.3.34 and now when I
> attempt to start the server, I get this message:
> 
> httpd: bad user name nobody
> 
> The user nobody exists and the server has been running fine for years.
>  It's not chrooted.  This happens regardless of what I put in httpd.conf.
> 
> I googled and found lots of people with similar issues, but didn't
> find a solution. 
> 
> Any ideas?

Are you *sure* the user "nobody" exists?
Try running pwd_mkdb(8) and then check /etc/passwd (in case something
is corrupted in the database).

Not that I recommend running apache as "nobody", anyway.
It's definitely safer in the long run to run it as a user that is used
for nothing else.