From: utzoo!decvax!cca!evan@mit-ccc@sri-unix
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Title: setting group passwords
Article-I.D.: sri-unix.4804
Posted: Sat Dec 11 12:24:12 1982
Received: Sun Dec 12 09:23:53 1982

Date: 8 Dec 1982 03:04:51-EST
>From ACORREIRA@BBNA Tue Dec  7 22:55:00 1982
	Date:  1 Dec 1982 1643-EST
	Subject: setting group passwords
	To: unix-wizards at SRI-CSL
	Remailed-to: Unix-Wizards@SRI-CSL: ;
	
	I have been unable to find anything in the
	UPM that will do to /etc/group what passwd
	does to /etc/passwd, i.e. set the password
	field.  Have I missed something?  If not, 
	has someone out there already written one
	that I can have?  I don't like reinventing
	wheels, even very small ones.
	
	-------
	
	
	Somewhere in the unix manual (I thought it was GROUP(V), but I
was wrong), it says that such a program was not written ON PURPOSE,
because group passwords encouraged "poor security practices", and that
there SHOULD NOT be any easy way to do this. The entry went on to state
that the whole idea of group passwords was a bad one and that they would
be omitted in future releases. That was an old (Bell) manual, and Bell,
as well as Berkley, seems still to support them.

	If anyone out there happens to remember where it says that in a
manual, I would be happy to hear from you, for I will not be able to
sleep well for several nights as I try to remember where I saw it.

	Tanks. (spelled Tanks).


					Be Just and Fear Not.
					---Evan Williams
					(evan@ccc@mc)
					(alice!mitccc!evan)