Xref: utzoo comp.bugs.sys5:956 comp.sys.att:6455 comp.unix.xenix:5958
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From: jeff@softop.UUCP (Jeff)
Newsgroups: comp.bugs.sys5,comp.sys.att,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: 'ls -n' opens password file for reading
Summary: inode.h shows struct contains gid, uid, etc.
Message-ID: <128@softop.UUCP>
Date: 12 May 89 16:51:34 GMT
References: <1326@rivm05.UUCP>
Organization: Soft Options, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Lines: 20

In article <1326@rivm05.UUCP>, ccea3@rivm.UUCP (Adri Verhoef) writes:
> The command 'ls -n' fails with '/etc/passwd file cannot be
> opened for reading' if the password file is missing, or it
> fails with '/etc/group file cannot be opened for reading'
> if the group file is missing.
> 
> -Flame on-
> 'ls -n' does not need to open any password or group file!
> -Flame off-

I had never considered this before.  Inspection of inode.h (Xenix 2860
shows that the inode contains uid & gid, not username and groupname.
Surely then 'ls -n' is the only version that should work if the files
ARE missing?????
-- 

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