Is it ok to edit the /etc/passwd and /etc/group files manually to add users and groups or would this circumvent other required system commands from being executed when adding them at the command line via useradd and groupadd?
In reading the docs @ http://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/Deployment_Guide-en-US/s1-users-tools.html... I see a user that is created with these utilities is disabled until unlocked with passwd. If someone is creating users for services without home dirs and shell access, how do you handle the password? Looking at the example provided in a doc I am reading, there is "*" in the password field in the passwd file. Is that suggesting it's just not displayed in the doc, or does the "*" have specific meaning?
Thanks! jlc
Joseph L. Casale wrote:
Is it ok to edit the /etc/passwd and /etc/group files manually to add users and groups or would this circumvent other required system commands from being executed when adding them at the command line via useradd and groupadd?
In reading the docs @ http://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/Deployment_Guide-en-US/s1-users-tools.html... I see a user that is created with these utilities is disabled until unlocked with passwd. If someone is creating users for services without home dirs and shell access, how do you handle the password? Looking at the example provided in a doc I am reading, there is “*” in the password field in the passwd file. Is that suggesting it’s just not displayed in the doc, or does the “*” have specific meaning?
the useradd/mod/del and passwd commands will work with any supported PAM, while manually editing /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow will only work if you're using the default authentication methods.
re: the *, see `man 5 passwd`
On Dec 2, 2007 10:52 PM, Joseph L. Casale jcasale@activenetwerx.com wrote:
Is it ok to edit the /etc/passwd and /etc/group files manually to add users and groups or would this circumvent other required system commands from being executed when adding them at the command line via useradd and groupadd?
edit passwd and group is enough but if you need home dir, you need to create it manualy, chmod and chown it
In reading the docs @ http://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/Deployment_Guide-en-US/s1-users-tools.html... I see a user that is created with these utilities is disabled until unlocked with passwd. If someone is creating users for services without home dirs and shell access, how do you handle the password?
with # passwd username
Looking at the example provided in a doc I am reading, there is "*" in the password field in the passwd file. Is that suggesting it's just not displayed in the doc, or does the "*" have specific meaning?
*, mean you can not login as this user (their is no password). Anyway you can still # su username if you are root because root dont need to provide a password to impersonate another user
Regards
Thanks! jlc _______________________________________________ CentOS mailing list CentOS@centos.org http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
edit passwd and group is enough but if you need home dir, you need to create it manualy, chmod and chown it
*, mean you can not login as this user (their is no password).
Alain and John, Thanks! The man didn't provide this last bit of info! So no password makes since as I have not come across any docs when installing daemons that indicate where to provide the password!
Thank you both, jlc
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Alain Spineux -
John R Pierce -
Joseph L. Casale