projects / unix-history / blame
| Commit | Line | Data |
|---|---|---|
| 11a514e8 C |
1 | .TH PASSWD 5 "15 January 1983" |
| 2 | .SH NAME | |
| 3 | passwd \- password file | |
| 4 | .SH DESCRIPTION | |
| 5 | .I Passwd | |
| 6 | contains for each user the | |
| 7 | following information: | |
| 8 | .HP 10 | |
| 9 | name (login name, contains no upper case) | |
| 10 | .br | |
| 11 | .ns | |
| 12 | .HP 10 | |
| 13 | encrypted password | |
| 14 | .br | |
| 15 | .ns | |
| 16 | .HP 10 | |
| 17 | numerical user ID | |
| 18 | .br | |
| 19 | .ns | |
| 20 | .HP 10 | |
| 21 | numerical group ID | |
| 22 | .br | |
| 23 | .ns | |
| 24 | .HP 10 | |
| 25 | user's real name, office, extension, home phone. | |
| 26 | .br | |
| 27 | .ns | |
| 28 | .HP 10 | |
| 29 | initial working directory | |
| 30 | .br | |
| 31 | .ns | |
| 32 | .HP 10 | |
| 33 | program to use as Shell | |
| 34 | .PP | |
| 35 | The name may contain `&', meaning insert the login name. | |
| 36 | This information is set by the | |
| 37 | .IR chfn (1) | |
| 38 | command and used by the | |
| 39 | .IR finger (1) | |
| 40 | command. | |
| 41 | .PP | |
| 42 | This is an ASCII file. Each field within each user's entry | |
| 43 | is separated from the next by a colon. | |
| 44 | Each user is separated from the next by a new-line. | |
| 45 | If the password field is null, no password is demanded; | |
| 46 | if the Shell field is null, then | |
| 47 | .I /bin/sh | |
| 48 | is used. | |
| 49 | .PP | |
| 50 | This file resides in directory /etc. | |
| 51 | Because of the encrypted | |
| 52 | passwords, it can and does have general read | |
| 53 | permission and can be used, for example, | |
| 54 | to map numerical user ID's to names. | |
| 55 | .PP | |
| 56 | Appropriate precautions must be taken to lock the file against changes | |
| 57 | if it is to be edited with a text editor; | |
| 58 | .IR vipw (8) | |
| 59 | does the necessary locking. | |
| 60 | .SH FILES | |
| 61 | /etc/passwd | |
| 62 | .SH "SEE ALSO" | |
| 63 | getpwent(3), login(1), crypt(3), passwd(1), group(5), chfn(1), finger(1), | |
| 64 | vipw(8), adduser(8) | |
| 65 | .SH BUGS | |
| 66 | A binary indexed file format should be available for fast access. | |
| 67 | .PP | |
| 68 | User information (name, office, etc.) should be stored elsewhere. |