Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!spool.mu.edu!cs.umn.edu!uc!apctrc!voyager!hgo7!zfgo01 From: zfgo01@hgo7.hou.amoco.com (F. G. Oakes) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: Re: What does '*' symbol in /etc/passwd means? Message-ID: Date: 6 Jun 91 00:23:38 GMT References: <27106@adm.brl.mil> Sender: news@hou.amoco.com Organization: Amoco Lines: 14 aeba-im-o-e2@berlin-emh1.army.mil ( IM EMAIL ASST SYS ADMIN) writes: >>From: KiChang Yang >>Subject: What does '*' symbol in /etc/passwd means? On the version of UNIX I'm familiar with (SVR3), the password field in /etc/passwd is 13 characters in length, including the 2 characters of 'salt'. I've heard the practice of replacing this field with an '*' as 'starring-out' the password, making it impossible for someone to login to that ID since the password encryption mechanism is guaranteed to fail. I've routinely made this field "*LOCKED*" or "*NO LOGIN*" to achieve the same purpose. -- ============================================================================ zfgo01@hgo7.hou.amoco.com (Glen Oakes)