Bug#606493: gnome-screensaver: Fails to authenticate users with NIS on amd64

[Dietrich Clauss]

Package: gnome-screensaver
Version: 2.30.0-2
Severity: important

After upgrading my machine to amd64, users can no longer unlock the
screen locked by gnome-screensaver.  The dialog always says 'wrong
password'.  The system uses NIS, the NIS server is an i386 lenny
machine.

The following services also fail:
	kscreenlocker
	xlock (xlockmore-gl)
whereas these work fine:
	/bin/login
	sudo
	gdm3
	kdm
	vlock
	sshd (openssh-server).

All of these services work correctly for
a) an i386 machine with the (hopefully) identical setup, and
b) a test user added into the local passwd / shadow files.

So the problem seems to be related somehow to amd64 and/or nis.

I did not change anything in /etc/pam.d .

On a failed unlock attempt, auth.log says:
-------------------------
19:59:06 unix_chkpwd[18201]: check pass; user unknown
19:59:11 unix_chkpwd[18203]: check pass; user unknown
19:59:11 unix_chkpwd[18203]: password check failed for user (dc2)
19:59:11 gnome-screensaver-dialog: pam_unix(gnome-screensaver:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=1000 euid=1000 tty=:0.0 ruser= rhost=  user=dc2
19:59:12 unix_chkpwd[18205]: check pass; user unknown
-------------------------

my /etc/nsswitch.conf:
-------------------------
passwd:         files nis
group:          files nis
shadow:         files nis

hosts:          files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns mdns4
networks:       files

protocols:      db files
services:       db files
ethers:         db files
rpc:            db files

netgroup:       nis
-------------------------

-- System Information:
Debian Release: squeeze/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (990, 'testing'), (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'stable'), (1, 'experimental')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=de_DE.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=de_DE.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages gnome-screensaver depends on:
ii  dbus-x11                      1.2.24-3   simple interprocess messaging syst
ii  gconf2                        2.28.1-6   GNOME configuration database syste
ii  gnome-icon-theme              2.30.3-2   GNOME Desktop icon theme
ii  gnome-session-bin             2.30.2-3   The GNOME Session Manager - Minima
ii  libc6                         2.11.2-7   Embedded GNU C Library: Shared lib
ii  libcairo2                     1.8.10-6   The Cairo 2D vector graphics libra
ii  libdbus-1-3                   1.2.24-3   simple interprocess messaging syst
ii  libdbus-glib-1-2              0.88-2     simple interprocess messaging syst
ii  libgconf2-4                   2.28.1-6   GNOME configuration database syste
ii  libgl1-mesa-glx [libgl1]      7.7.1-4    A free implementation of the OpenG
ii  libglib2.0-0                  2.24.2-1   The GLib library of C routines
ii  libgnome-desktop-2-17         2.30.2-2   Utility library for loading .deskt
ii  libgnome-menu2                2.30.3-1   an implementation of the freedeskt
ii  libgnomekbd4                  2.30.2-2   GNOME library to manage keyboard c
ii  libgtk2.0-0                   2.20.1-2   The GTK+ graphical user interface 
ii  libnotify1 [libnotify1-gtk2.1 0.5.0-2    sends desktop notifications to a n
ii  libpam0g                      1.1.1-6.1  Pluggable Authentication Modules l
ii  libpango1.0-0                 1.28.3-1   Layout and rendering of internatio
ii  libx11-6                      2:1.3.3-4  X11 client-side library
ii  libxext6                      2:1.1.2-1  X11 miscellaneous extension librar
ii  libxklavier16                 5.0-2      X Keyboard Extension high-level AP
ii  libxxf86vm1                   1:1.1.0-2  X11 XFree86 video mode extension l

Versions of packages gnome-screensaver recommends:
ii  gnome-power-manager           2.32.0-2   power management tool for the GNOM
ii  libpam-gnome-keyring          2.30.3-4   PAM module to unlock the GNOME key

Versions of packages gnome-screensaver suggests:
pn  rss-glx                       <none>     (no description available)
ii  xscreensaver-data             5.11-1+b1  data files to be shared among scre

-- no debconf information