From: The Jester (kervahut@nil.IRO.UMontreal.CA)
Date: 07/20/92


From: kervahut@nil.IRO.UMontreal.CA (The Jester)
Subject: Re: /etc/passwd bug
Date: 20 Jul 1992 20:33:27 GMT

In article <joef.711615485@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> joef@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU writes:

> widenius@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Risto Widenius) writes:

>In <1992Jul12.013741.2642@amhux2.amherst.edu>
>pfcouvar@amhux1.amherst.edu (Peter Couvares) writes:

>>difficulties. For some reason, it (I say "it" because I'm not sure which
>>program it is exactly that causes this) doesn't like having more than 1 user
>>with a UID > 100.
>>Here is the /etc/passwd that didn't work (wouldn't let derek log in):

>>[root, bin, others all with UID's < 100]
>>user::100:1::/home/user:/bin/sh
>>peter::101:6:/home/peter:/bin/sh
>>derek::102:6:/home/derek:/bin/sh

> I think I better clean this up.. There is a SYNTAX problem with that
> /etc/passwd file.
> The /etc/passwd file syntax is:

> loginname:despasswd:uid:gid:gecos:homedir:shell

> You will notice that 'peter' and 'derek' DON'T have a gecos field
> while 'user'does (the 1::/home.. It's blank, but its there) - I'm not sure
> what it will do, as I haven't tried it under linux, but I'm assuming that
> it's NOT going to work. [Under sunos, having a passwd field suchly:

Another thing (I had this problem yesterday) if you add a new user,
and don't press return at the end of the line (ie. the file ends after
the new entry on the same line, instead of on a new line under the new
entry), you won't be able to log in. It has nothing to do with having
many users with UIDs>100.

        Tanguy-
=============================================================================
   Tanguy Kervahut DoD#0349 kervahut@iro.umontreal.ca
=============================================================================
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