Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!usc!jarthur!uunet!tiamat!chromc!dynasys!jessea
From: jessea@dynasys.UUCP (Jesse W. Asher)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Different uses of the 5th field of the passwd file.
Message-ID: <723@dynasys.UUCP>
Date: 4 Nov 90 16:22:05 GMT
Reply-To: jessea@dynasys.UUCP (Jesse W. Asher)
Organization: Dynasys:  Consulting for the Future.
Lines: 16

I was wondering how the various information in the 5th field of the passwd
file is used (gcos field? - is this correct?).  I know you can put comma's
in it for certain systems for expiration of passwords.  Is this information
absolutely required?  Is it permissible to put _only_ the persons real name?
I'm not really interested in SysV 3.2 or higher as I'm running that and know
how that works.  I'm interested in other systems that don't handle this
field in quite the same way (I'm writing a utility to add user's and would
like to make it portable if I can).  Thanx for any information you can
provide.


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      Jesse W. Asher                             Phone: (901)382-1609 
               6196-1 Macon Rd., Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38134
                UUCP: {fedeva,chromc,rutgers}!dynasys!jessea
 -> Money is the root of all wealth.