Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!wam.UMD.EDU!stripes
From: stripes@wam.UMD.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: passwd file corrupted
Message-ID: <8906271706.AA22357@cscwam.UMD.EDU>
Date: 27 Jun 89 17:06:47 GMT
References: <664@sumax.UUCP>
Organization: (only when being payed)
Lines: 20

In article <664@sumax.UUCP> vanmane@sumax.UUCP (Mohan Vanmane) writes:
[stuff deleted]
>How can I bring this machine down to administrative mode so that I can
>change the password file?
>
>vanmane%sumax.uucp@beaver.cs.washington.edu
Since nobody else can get on you don't need to go into single user mode :-)
If it makes you feel better I beleve it's "init 1", but you don't need to
be in single-user mode to safely edit the passwd file.
There should be a /etc/vipw that will let only one person edit /etc/passwd,
provided they all use /etc/vipw (or /etc/lockpw & /etc/unlockpw).  If for
some reason you don't have thoes just make shure nobody else, and nothing else
edits the file while you do.  (and yes the shurest you can be in in single
user mode).  Also if you system has shadow password file support (and you
are useing it) to check the shadow password file (where ever it is).
-- 
           stripes@wam.umd.edu          "Security for Unix is like
      Josh_Osborne@Real_World,The          Mutitasking for MS-DOS"
      "The dyslexic porgramer"                  - Kevin Lockwood
    "A career is great, but you can't run your fingers through it's hair"