.\" @(#)passwd.5 6.1 (Berkeley) %G%
contains for each user the
name (login name, contains no upper case)
user's real name, office, extension, home phone.
initial working directory
The name may contain `&', meaning insert the login name.
This information is set by the
This is an ASCII file. Each field within each user's entry
is separated from the next by a colon.
Each user is separated from the next by a new-line.
If the password field is null, no password is demanded;
if the Shell field is null, then
This file resides in directory /etc.
passwords, it can and does have general read
permission and can be used, for example,
to map numerical user ID's to names.
Appropriate precautions must be taken to lock the file against changes
if it is to be edited with a text editor;
does the necessary locking.
getpwent(3), login(1), crypt(3), passwd(1), group(5), chfn(1), finger(1),
A binary indexed file format should be available for fast access.
User information (name, office, etc.) should be stored elsewhere.