New install, add reseller (error: user exists)

[got2go]

Hello,
New install RH9+DA.
Added SSL to control panel.

Can't seem to be able to add a reseller.
It shows:
User Already Exists
Cannot find a home directory after the system user creation for test123
The home directory for test123 was not created.

In SSH:
# useradd test123
useradd: error locking group file

# fuser -v /etc/group
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/etc/group root 10037 f.... proftpd


Any ideas ?
Basically, no users have ever been added to this install.
Only the default admin user exists.

Thank you.

[ProWebUK]

You are running useradd as root?

[admin@host]# su -
password:
[root@host]#

or direct root?

Chris

[got2go]

Hi Chris,

Was loging in as root directly.

Thanks.

[ProWebUK]

rpm -q shadow-utils

Output?

Chris

[got2go]

Chris,

Output:
shadow-utils-4.0.3-6

While troubleshooting this I had updated the shadow RPM as posted somewhere else.
It did not seem to correct the problem.

I just rebooted the server, and now it works.

But, now there is still the issue of "what actually caued the problem?".

Thanks!