Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!oberon!bbn!uwmcsd1!ig!jade!ucbvax!XEROX.COM!Messenger-AI.SBDERX
From: Messenger-AI.SBDERX@XEROX.COM
Newsgroups: comp.sys.xerox
Subject: Re: Othello and "magic" passwords
Message-ID: <880107-042426-6638@Xerox>
Date: 7 Jan 88 12:22:21 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 35

Re: "WHY DOES ONE NEED A "MAGIC" PASSWORD???? It seems to me that:
   1) Everybody using a Xerox 11xx machine knows enough CS stuff
       to use (or NOT use) such a powerful (and deadly) tool!"

As Steve has pointed out, not everyone who uses D machines is a CS wizard.
Don't forget that exactly the same machines and Installer software are used for
the Viewpoint 'customer' machines (then called 8010's and 6085's rather than
11xx's).  There are thousands of non-CS types who use D machines just within
Xerox who would be quite capable of totally destroying their discs without any
trouble at all if let loose in Command mode.  "Create Physical Volume?  That
sounds interesting, I wonder what it does ...".

Re: "2) It's "my disk" so I should be able to "go after it"
       in any way that is appropriate to retrieve my data!"

Yes.  The only thing Xerox asks is that you have obtained a password from them.

engineer ...

Steve's point is also very valid - in a lot of installations machines are
shared.  Having a password on command mode means that local System
Administrators can at least have some control over who has the capability to
wipe discs.

Re: "I found all this especially frustrating when trying to help a friend with
his 1186 based upon my experience with my 1109 and we couldn't get to the
good stuff because we didn't have the 1186 password!"

? The password to enter Command Mode from the Installer logon prompt is the same
on all machines.

Sorry to harp on about this, but being a support person I spend SO much time
fixing screw ups people have made when using command mode or diagnostics ...

   -- Hugh