That sounds like you have damaged our passwd file.
	If you edit your password file with vipw can you see a root line
	somewhat like: 

	root:jZs3Fjw6dle6z:0:0::0:0:Charlie &:/root:/bin/tcsh

	(And no, that is not my crypted root passwd:)

		David/absolute

	  -=-  Just adding to the wrinkles on his deathly frown  -=-

On Tue, 21 Apr 1998, Mike Sienicki wrote:

> Hi,
>      I think I corrupted my /dev/lpt0 device by trying to get my HP deskjet
> working.  So to correct it I typed #./MAKEDEV lpt0 and I keep getting
> "chown: root: invalid user name"  Is this because I have the wrong
> attributes set on the lpt0 file?
> 
> Thanks from the UNIX/NetBSD big dummy. (:^)>
> 
>