Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ucbvax!AVELON.LERC.NASA.GOV!fsfacca
From: fsfacca@AVELON.LERC.NASA.GOV (Tony Facca)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re:  /etc/passwd permissions problems
Message-ID: <9012171625.AA11223@avelon.lerc.nasa.gov>
Date: 17 Dec 90 16:25:21 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 17


> 
> I have had a number of spookey problems (sendmail errors, users login
> password) that were corrected by making /etc/passwd writable. 
> 
> Why does everyone need to write /etc/passwd ? I thought all they
> needed was to read it !
> 

/etc/passwd runs just fine with read-only permissions for us.  It should
definitley not be writable by everyone, or why bother having a password 
file?
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony Facca   |   fsfacca@avelon.lerc.nasa.gov      |     phone: 216-433-8318
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
      You are at Witt's end.  Passages lead off in *all* directions.