# Gentoo pwconv
After Gentoo update (the big one:) crontab stopped working to non-root users.
I use crontab as postgres user to make my daily database backups. After checking messages log in /var/log/messages I found this line:
cron: Authentication service cannot retrieve authentication info.
Problem is that after pam update something wrong went to passwd/shadow files and postgres user had wrong entry. To fix this, simply use command in root shell:
From man page of pwconv:
pwconv creates shadow from passwd and an optionally existing shadow.
So pwconv fixes this problem, and cron for postgres works again.
The other problem, why postgres or other non-root user crons doesnt run my occur if you don’t add those users to cron group. To add postgres user to cron group use this command:
More info about shadow/passwd problem after update you can read on gentoo forums:
pwconv+postgres.html
cron+authentication+service+retrieve+authentication.html