[CentOS] /etc/passwd.rpmnew changes "x" to "*"

[Matt Seitz (matseitz)]

> From: John R Pierce <pierce at hogranch.com>
> 
> * tells it to look in /etc/shadow, where I'd expect you would 
> find said 
> "x" for no login.

I'm confused.  My current "/etc/passwd" has "x" in the password field for user "root", and I can log in as root.

The CentOS documentation also says that "x" means "use /etc/shadow":

http://www.centos.org/docs/4/4.5/System_Administration_Guide/s2-redhat-config-users-process.html
http://www.centos.org/docs/4/html/rhel-isa-en-4/s1-acctsgrps-rhlspec.html

--
Matt Seitz
Manager, File System Virtualization
Cisco Systems, Inc.
.:|:.:|:.