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i3lock: Error opening /var/log/faillog for update/read

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:05:32 +0000

This is on an Arch with systemd; when _successfully_ unlocking the screen from i3lock, two error lines get added to the systemd journal:



... pam\_tally(i3lock:auth): Error opening /var/log/faillog for update

... pam\_tally(i3lock:auth): Error opening /var/log/faillog for read

(no other harmful effects as far as I can tell)

A bit surprising, for a _failed unlock_ attempt (e.g. wrong password), the correct and expected log entry is added:



... pam\_unix(i3lock:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=xxx euid=yyy tty= ruser= rhost=  user=name _...etc.etc._

... and there are no other errors. Is this a pam config related issue or something with i3lock ?
Thanks.

Comment by Chris for
This is on an Arch with systemd; when successfully unlocking the screen from i3lock, two error lines get added to the systemd journal: `... pam_tally(i3lock:auth): Error opening /var/log/faillog for update ... pam_tally(i3lock:auth): Error opening /var/log/faillog for read` (no other harmful effects as far as I can tell)

A bit surprising, for a failed unlock attempt (e.g. wrong password), the correct and expected log entry is added: `... pam_unix(i3lock:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=xxx euid=yyy tty= ruser= rhost= user=name ...etc.etc.` ... and there are no other errors.

Is this a pam config related issue or something with i3lock ?
Thanks.

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:37:38 +0000

For whoever finds this, it is now fixed: "FS#31544 - [i3lock] can't write to /var/log/faillog" ( https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/31544 ). It was an Arch/Pam config issue.

Comment by Michael for
This is on an Arch with systemd; when successfully unlocking the screen from i3lock, two error lines get added to the systemd journal: `... pam_tally(i3lock:auth): Error opening /var/log/faillog for update ... pam_tally(i3lock:auth): Error opening /var/log/faillog for read` (no other harmful effects as far as I can tell)

A bit surprising, for a failed unlock attempt (e.g. wrong password), the correct and expected log entry is added: `... pam_unix(i3lock:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=xxx euid=yyy tty= ruser= rhost= user=name ...etc.etc.` ... and there are no other errors.

Is this a pam config related issue or something with i3lock ?
Thanks.

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:10:37 +0000

The FAQ is not a bugtracker, for that use bugs.i3wm.org. Also, the error is from pam_tally, which has nothing to do with i3lock itself. Please ask at the arch forums/community.