_posts: add post about glibc xcrypt borkage

Author: classabbyamp

_posts/2024-01-04-glibc-xcrypt.md

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+---
+title: glibc 2.38 Update Issues and Solutions
+layout: post
+---
+
+With the update to glibc 2.38, `libcrypt.so.1` is [no longer provided by
+glibc](https://sourceware.org/glibc/wiki/Release/2.38#Building_libcrypt_is_disabled_by_default).
+Libcrypt is an important library for several core system packages that use
+cryptographic functions, including `pam`. The library has changed versions, and
+the legacy version is still available for precompiled or proprietary
+applications. The new version is available on Void as `libxcrypt` and the legacy
+version is `libxcrypt-compat`.
+
+With this change, some kinds of partial upgrades can leave PAM unable to
+function. This breaks tools like `sudo`, `doas`, and `su`, as well as breaking
+authentication to your system. Symptoms include messages like "PAM
+authentication error: Module is unknown". If this has happened to you, you can
+either:
+
+- add `init=/bin/sh` to your kernel command-line in the bootloader and
+   [downgrade](https://docs.voidlinux.org/xbps/advanced-usage.html#downgrading)
+   glibc,
+- or mount the system's root partition in a live environment,
+   [chroot](https://docs.voidlinux.org/config/containers-and-vms/chroot.html#chroot-usage)
+   into it, and install `libxcrypt-compat`
+
+Either of these steps should allow you to access your system as normal and run a
+full update.
+
+To ensure the disastrous partial upgrade (described above) cannot happen,
+`glibc-2.38_3` now depends on `libxcrypt-compat`. With this change, it is safe
+to perform partial upgrades that include glibc 2.38.