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From: rml@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bob Lenk)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Passwords in /etc/group
Message-ID: <5740010@hpfcdc.HP.COM>
Date: Fri, 19-Jun-87 19:49:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpfcdc.5740010
Posted: Fri Jun 19 19:49:56 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Jun-87 06:30:40 EDT
References: <7817@brl-adm.ARPA>
Organization: HP Ft. Collins, Co.
Lines: 19

>>
>>Does any system software muck with the passwords in /etc/group?  I'm new
>>to administering Unix, and I'd like to know what's up with groups.

>   In a word, no. There is provision for passwords in the group structure, but
>there is nothing provided to put the passwords in there. It is possible to put
>a password into /etc/group by copying a known password from /etc/passwd into
>the appropriate field, but this is an awful kludge. The simplest answer is:
>don't bother with passwords in /etc/group.
>   My comments apply to all BSD4.n systems and right back to v6, and I think to
>system V and its derivatives as well.

The above is correct with respect to System V et. al. as far as software
setting up passwords.  However, System V, System III, V7, V6 (and quite
possibly pre-4.2 BSD systems) have newgrp(1) which uses the password if
it exists.

		Bob Lenk
		{ihnp4, hplabs}!hpfcla!rml