[lfs] branch trunk updated: shadow: rewrite the description for --disable-logind

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The following commit(s) were added to refs/heads/trunk by this push:
     new 54011db0c shadow: rewrite the description for --disable-logind
54011db0c is described below

commit 54011db0c0fde0fe7d96f17a0abe0f56eeb98a71
Author: Xi Ruoyao <[email protected]>
AuthorDate: Wed Jan 14 12:34:03 2026 +0800

    shadow: rewrite the description for --disable-logind
    
    The logind integration does not add new tools, but improves existing
    tools (logind and who) so they'll work after 2038.  Thus "does not
    provide any utility" is not a good reason.
    
    Just admit the known Y2038 issue here.  We'll need to take some action
    before 2038 to resolve it.
---
 chapter07/createfiles.xml | 13 +++++++------
 chapter08/shadow.xml      | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
 2 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/chapter07/createfiles.xml b/chapter07/createfiles.xml
index 319c89138..acae0cfb2 100644
--- a/chapter07/createfiles.xml
+++ b/chapter07/createfiles.xml
@@ -221,18 +221,19 @@ chmod -v 600  /var/log/btmp</userinput></screen>
   failed login attempts.  The <filename>/var/log/btmp</filename> file records
   the bad login attempts.</para>
 
-  <!-- systemd no longer creates this -->
-  <note revision='sysv'><para>The <filename>/run/utmp</filename> file
-  records the users that are currently logged in.  This file is created
-  dynamically in the boot scripts.</para></note>
+  <note><para>The <filename>/run/utmp</filename> file
+  records the users that are currently logged in.
+  <phrase revision='sysv'>This file is created dynamically in the boot
+  scripts.</phrase><phrase revision='systemd'>This file is created
+  dynamically when a user logs into the system.</phrase></para></note>
 
   <!-- AFAIK they are not vital for system function, users requiring such
        info should rely on systemd-logind or elogind or some custom PAM
        module.  Maybe we can stop to create them at all.  -->
   <note>
     <para>
-      The <phrase revision='sysv'><filename>utmp</filename>,
-      </phrase><filename>wtmp</filename>, <filename>btmp</filename>, and
+      The <filename>utmp</filename>,
+      <filename>wtmp</filename>, <filename>btmp</filename>, and
       <filename>lastlog</filename> files use 32-bit integers for timestamps
       and they'll be fundamentally broken after year 2038.  Many packages
       have stopped using them and other packages are going to stop using
diff --git a/chapter08/shadow.xml b/chapter08/shadow.xml
index fb561cf6f..637a73017 100644
--- a/chapter08/shadow.xml
+++ b/chapter08/shadow.xml
@@ -144,10 +144,36 @@ find man -name Makefile.in -exec sed -i 's/passwd\.5 / /'   {} \;</userinput></s
       <varlistentry>
         <term><parameter>--disable-logind</parameter></term>
         <listitem>
-           <para>This option is not needed at this point in LFS, 
-           as it requires systemd and doesn't provide any utility to 
-           users at this stage.</para>
-        </listitem>
+          <para>This option makes Shadow (specifically, the
+          <command>login</command> and <command>who</command> programs) use
+          the <filename>/run/utmp</filename> file instead of logind to track
+          the active login sessions, as logind isn't available yet in the
+          incomplete LFS system.  But as we've discussed in
+          <xref linkend='ch-tools-createfiles'/>, the
+          <filename>/run/utmp</filename> file format will be completely
+          broken after year 2038.  The LFS editors will attempt to resolve
+          the issue before that year.</para>
+        </listitem>
+
+        <!-- TODO: How?  IMO maybe just rebuild shadow after systemd/elogind
+             (then elogind will be need to copied from BLFS but without the
+             recommended dependencies; perhaps PAM will need to be moved
+             as well).
+
+             And we cannot move the first shadow build to chapter 7 because
+             it still needs libxcrypt.  Oh man.
+
+             The second option is simply moving shadow to the end of
+             chapter 8 and using a small custom helper instead of su for
+             running the testsuite as &tester;.  Still needing elogind and
+             maybe PAM.
+
+             The third option may be simply taking out the session tracking
+             functionality here by making get_session_host() and
+             active_sessions_count() dummies simply returning zero if
+             building w/o logind, and telling the users who need this
+             functionality to rebuild shadow in BLFS with all the
+             recommended dependencies.  -->
       </varlistentry>
 
       <varlistentry>

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