Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!husc6!sri-unix!sri-spam!mordor!lll-tis!lll-lcc!pyramid!prls!mips!dce
From: dce@mips.UUCP (David Elliott)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Putting comments in /etc/passwd; is there a 'better' way?
Message-ID: <496@quacky.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 3-Jul-87 20:35:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: quacky.496
Posted: Fri Jul  3 20:35:38 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Jul-87 17:25:13 EDT
References: <1320@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Reply-To: dce@quacky.UUCP (David Elliott)
Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 34
Keywords: comments, passwd(1), pound signs, strange results

In article <1320@ssc-vax.UUCP> ray3rd@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ray E Saddler III) writes:
>I have been attempting to comment /etc/passwd with pound signs, like
>'cap files and the like to help keep groups distinguished, and notated.
>(Yes, I am aware of /etc/group, and I do use it) 8^}

You can't do this. It wasn't designed this way. It would be nice, but
you can't.

It's a good idea not to assume that something will work if it isn't
documented because...
>	Example (after):
>
>#::0:0:::
...
>This in itself causes no problems, but creats an visually ugly file
>which defeats my intentions.

NO PROBLEMS? Would you mind if I logged in to your system for a
while?

The entry above is not a comment; the username is '#', there is no
password, the userid is 0 (just like root's), the groupid is 0 (sys
or wheel), the home directory is not set, and the login shell is
/bin/sh (the default).

I placed this in my password file and used it to become root without
a password. I think that should be considered a problem.

If you really need a comment, try something (ugly) like this:

	#:COMMENT:999:999::: Comment text...

-- 
David Elliott		{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!mips!dce