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From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Putting comments in /etc/passwd; is there a 'better' way?
Message-ID: <7305@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Jul-87 14:11:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: mimsy.7305
Posted: Fri Jul  3 14:11:05 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Jul-87 14:45:42 EDT
References: <1320@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 35
Keywords: comments, passwd(1), pound signs, strange results

The passwd file is supposed to be a sequence of lines, each containing
exactly seven fields separated by colons.  There is no comment
mechanism, and the routines that scan the file are rather careless.
Hence:

In article <1320@ssc-vax.UUCP> ray3rd@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ray E Saddler III) writes:
>#
># Group 200 - Programming staff (vaporware)
># 
>bob::201:200:Bob Looper:/user/bob:

becomes

>#::0:0:::
># Group 200 - Programming staff (vaporware)
>#::0:0:::
>bob:VtgjIsR/wsRB.:201:200:Bob Looper:/user/bob:

I am surprised that the `# Group 200' line does not get smashed
as well.

>This in itself causes no problems, but creats an visually ugly file
>which defeats my intentions.

It *does* cause problems.  Log in as the user `#': no password
required, and for an account with user ID 0, i.e., super user.

Password files are becoming inadequate.  Sun has something called
`yellow pages', which is a step in the right direction.  Whether
it allows comments I do not know, for we do not run it here.
(Yellow pages has some problems we would prefer to avoid, and we
have a different coherence system in use now.)
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	seismo!mimsy!chris