[CentOS] shadow file question

Steve wrote:
> Feizhou wrote:
> 
>> There is this * in the password field of the shadow file for certain 
>> accounts.
>>
>> I know that the ! is to indicate a locked account but what does a * mean?
>>
> My understanding is that anything in that field that is not a valid 
> encrypted password means the account is disabled.  I believe that '!!' 
> and '*' are simply 2 different conventions indicating the same thing.
> 

Sigh. Documentation a bit wanting now is it not?

Even google does not give me anything...all I found where references to 
pam(7) to determine what happens but there is not any pam(7) man page.

-_-