(In reply to Jude Ashvin  Lobo Shenoy from comment #0)
Need help on how to avoid such situations in the future

Never allow an update to the setup package to replace configuration files. In fact it is always safest to refuse to allow any package update to replace  configuration files, unless you are certain that it is safe to do so. You will be asked (and given the opportunity to review the changes) before a package update replaces configuration files.

The latest setup update includes a replacement for /etc/shadow (which contains the passwords.) IIRC it may also provide a replacement for /etc/fstab.

I've lowered the severity and priority, since this problem can be avoided by refusing to accept the new configuration files - which is the recommended action when "in doubt".

Priority: High => Normal
Component: Installer => RPM Packages
Source RPM: (none) => setup
Severity: critical => normal

@ Jude

Did you indeed agree to use rpm.new, when asked?

If so:

Can you please tell us exactly how you updated?

Did you use the command line? If so, which command did you use?

Or did you click on the red button with the white exclamation mark in the task bar?

Or?

Your answer will help us find out what went wrong

CC: (none) => marja11
Depends on: (none) => 14266

yes i did use the red dot with the exclamation mark and it did update.

i did a fresh install of mageia and went into MCC configured the updates and i then updated the system via MCC but this time not via the red dot.

The minute the updates were complete i rebooted the sys and again i could not login. The first update after fresh reinstall asked me to reinstall drax and the rest of around 8 packages maybe (7.2 MB). Then i see a large list of updates which i went ahead updating. After this update am still logged out sadly. In 2 days this is my 3rd reinstallation but this time i am not installing kernel 3.19.2.1.

Updates going on now but this time i have only the below ticked....
Local live core
 local live nonfree
 mirror list core release
 mirror list core updates
 mirror list nonfree release
 mirror list nonfree updates
 mirror list tainted release
 mirror list tainted updates

Created attachment 6111 [details]
Locked out of Mageia

After the initial updates are complete sans kernel 3.19.2

Created attachment 6112 [details]
Locked out of Mageia

Created attachment 6113 [details]
Locked out of Mageia

Created attachment 6114 [details]
Locked out of Mageia

Created attachment 6115 [details]
Locked out of Mageia

The good news is am not locked out after the update process is over. I did it this way so have attached pics in sequence. Sorry for the quality.

Pic 1 shows a box suggesting the update process has completed successfully and that some config files were created. 

Pic 2 shows the inspect button which i clicked and selected the do nothing option for all the six items.

Pic 4 show the /etc/shadow.rpmnew box open (i selected do nothing and i feel there is a threat lurking here somewhere)

Pic 5 shows the second time i started the updates sans the 3 firefox options and rebooted the system after kernel 3.19.2 was installed and am inside my Mageia.

I feel there could be a problem in the first 3 config files as seen in Pic 1 but my gut feeling says it's in the shadow file. Apologies in advance as am new to linux (exactly 1 year this date and have tried the first 6 distros on distrowatch and have found Mageia and opensuse to be the best i could use). Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks a lot for the pictures, they are very clarifying

(In reply to Jude Ashvin  Lobo Shenoy from comment #6)
> Created attachment 6111 [details]
> Locked out of Mageia
> 

(In reply to Jude Ashvin  Lobo Shenoy from comment #7)
> Created attachment 6112 [details]
> Locked out of Mageia


Ah, I can understand that feels like being locked out.... you are not locked out at all, though ;-)

All you have to do is inspect the files and choose "Do nothing"

I suppose you chose "use .rpmnew as the main file" for /etc/shadow before you found you could no longer log in.

If you get a choice to use .rpmnew, but wouldn't know whether you should,it is always better to choose "Do nothing"

Trying to CC documentation team, because I cannot find in our official manual what to do when you get this choice
http://docteam.mageia.nl/en/MCC/content/MageiaUpdate.html

However: CC: 	
doc-discuss@ml.mageia.org did not match anything

Yes first i chose to use the .rpmnew for /etc/shadow so i was like kicked out of my house...LOL though. In future am going for the do nothing option if things sound french here. Thnaks a lot for all help :) I also managed to remove and add a new faster mirror for my updates and all's smooth now.

Can't this box with configurations be totally avoided as i dont see anything of that sort in other Linux OS. We could save a lot of people of a serious heart ache :) Better no configurations at all.

Marking as duplicate of 14266 and it's also a duplicate of previously reported bug 12006

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 14266 ***

Status: NEW => RESOLVED
CC: (none) => doktor5000
Resolution: (none) => DUPLICATE