SOLVED UID/GID 666 taken by webdav.

[redundantly]

I recently installed FreeNAS-9.10.1-U2. I went to add my user using the UID and GID I usually use, 666, and discovered it was taken by the webdav user and group.

What is webdav used for? Can I safely remove this user and group? Alternatively can I change it?

I've been using UID 666 across several different platforms for nearly two decades now. I'm using 666 on all other hosts and devices on this network. I'm dismayed that FreeNAS is disallowing me to use it with this version, when I know with previous versions it was possible.

Thanks.

 

[m0nkey_]

UID/GIDs below 1000 are typically reserved for system accounts on FreeBSD based systems.

 

[redundantly]

That's only partially true. According to the `pw` manpage UIDs less than 100, in general, are reserved for system use. Also, UIDs 50-1000 is used by porters, but UID/GID 666 are currently listed as reserved by `aox`, not webdav, so pointing to FreeBSD doesn't really work in this case since FreeNAS is conflicting with it out of the box.

And despite all of that, I'm not asking why that UID was used. I'm asking what webdav is being used for and if I can remove it or change it.

I'm not using any webdav shares and have no intent on using any, the webdav service isn't even running on my system, but if I ever did I imagine there's a safe way to change the UID & GID it's using. That's what I would like to know.

 

[m0nkey_]

I'm asking what webdav is being used for and if I can remove it or change it.

No, FreeNAS is an appliance. You should not be making any changes to the base OS.

 

[redundantly]

It's not a OS modification, it's a modification of user and group settings.

I found what I needed. The web UI doesn't offer a method for modifying pre-existing users and groups, but it does allow me to download my FreeNAS configuration in SQLite format.

I used the DB Browser for SQLite and modified the webdav user and group IDs with it, in the account_bsdusers and account_bsdgroups tables, wrote out the changes, and re-uploaded the database which initiated a reboot of my FreeNAS server. I was able to add my account with the desired UID and GID of 666.

Plus I was able to start the webdav service without any errors. All is well.

 

[m0nkey_]

You should not be making changes manually within the config. It will likely break on the next update.

 

[redundantly]

Don't see why it would, since the webdav user already exists the next update shouldn't be trying to create that user again.

And if it somehow magically breaks, which would be incredibly poor design in the update process, I'll just reinstall and apply my manual fix.

On a side note, I think it's hilarious that the process for adding application and system users is overly complicated. It takes 62 lines of python code to add a single user and group for webdav (0022_add_webdav_user_and_group.py).

 

[Ericloewe]

On a side note, I think it's hilarious that the process for adding application and system users is overly complicated. It takes 62 lines of python code to add a single user and group for webdav (0022_add_webdav_user_and_group.py).

Things that are trivial in C/C++ are insanely complex in Python and things that are trivial in Python are insanely complex in C/C++.

 

[m0nkey_]

And if it somehow magically breaks, which would be incredibly poor design in the update process, I'll just reinstall and apply my manual fix.

FreeNAS is an appliance. Treat it like a washing machine or toaster, perhaps even your Android device or iPhone. When you root an Android device, you just know you're going to have trouble applying updates. Is it bad design that Google never intended an end user to make changes to the system files? Same is expected in FreeNAS. Just leave that shit alone or roll your own version of FreeNAS.

 

[redundantly]

Or, I can make a benign change, which is what changing the UID/GID of a user is.

Comparing changing a UID/GID to rooting a smartphone is silly.