Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rpi!think.com!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!cs.umn.edu!uc!noc.MR.NET!news.stolaf.edu!news.stolaf.edu!swansonc From: swansonc@acc.stolaf.edu (Chris Swanson) Newsgroups: comp.unix.amiga Subject: Re: elm problems? Message-ID: Date: 8 May 91 03:15:26 GMT References: <1918e1d4.ARN0fbe@cbmami.UUCP> Sender: news@news.stolaf.edu Followup-To: comp.unix.amiga Organization: St. Olaf College / N.E.T. Ambulance Lines: 41 In-Reply-To: jason@cbmami.UUCP's message of 6 May 91 08:24:36 GMT >>>>> On 6 May 91 08:24:36 GMT, >>>>> in message <1918e1d4.ARN0fbe@cbmami.UUCP>, >>>>> jason@cbmami.UUCP (Jason Goldberg) wrote: [... Text deleted ...] jason> at at. I am not aware of any changes that were made to the jason> system to make it stop working (obviously something had to jason> happen, but I don't know what). Now when a user runs ELM it jason> returns the error "can't open password file" or something to jason> that effect. Further when any user tries to do a "ls -la" of jason> their home directory the system also gives an error like "no jason> access to passwd". From the root account I can look at any of jason> their home directories with "ls -la /home/whoever" and jason> everything works fine. Every users home direcoty is owned by [... Text deleted ...] jason> -Jason- It sounds like your passwd file is not publically readable. This needs to be publiclly readable so that certain data from it can be read (things like the home directory). This is not a security problem as the actual passwords are encrypted and mmay even be further hidden in a "shadow" file. Try the following command: chmod 644 /etc/passwd Be sure that /etc/passwd is owned by root. Regards, -Chris -- Chris Swanson, Chem/CS/Pre-med Undergrad, St. Olaf College, Northfield,MN 55057 DDN: (CDS6) INTERNET: swansonc@acc.stolaf.edu UUCP: uunet!stolaf!swansonc AT&T: Work: (507)-645-4528 Home: (507)-663-6424 I would deny this reality, but that wouldn't pay the bills...