shek@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (Wilson SHEK) (11/10/89)
In the /etc/passwd file, there are some strange entries following the first line (which is usually the root), eg. daemon:*:1:1:the UniX Daemon:/: sys:*:2:2::/:/bin/csh bin:*:3:3::/bin: uucp:*:4:4::/var/spool/uucppublic: news:*:6:6::/var/spool/news:/bin/csh Who/what are they? Does the '*' in the password field have any meaning? Just curious... |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | Wilson SHEK | ACSnet : shek@mullian.mu.oz | | Department of Elec Engineering | internet : shek@mullian.mu.oz.au | | University of Melbourne | uunet : uunet!munnari!mullian!shek |
gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (11/11/89)
In article <2666@munnari.oz.au> shek@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (Wilson SHEK) writes: > daemon:*:1:1:the UniX Daemon:/: >Who/what are they? Does the '*' in the password field have any meaning? Such accounts serve as "owners" of various system files. Some of them, notably daemon, may have executables set-UID to them. The * does not match any ecnrypted password, thereby guaranteeing that nobody can log in as one of these pseudo-users.
chris@utgard.uucp (Chris Anderson) (11/11/89)
In article <2666@munnari.oz.au> shek@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (Wilson SHEK) writes: > In the /etc/passwd file, there are some strange entries following >the first line (which is usually the root), eg. > > daemon:*:1:1:the UniX Daemon:/: > sys:*:2:2::/:/bin/csh > bin:*:3:3::/bin: > uucp:*:4:4::/var/spool/uucppublic: > news:*:6:6::/var/spool/news:/bin/csh > > Who/what are they? Does the '*' in the password field have any >meaning? Yup. These are system logins, used for system processes and checking certain areas of Unix by the systems administrator. For example, uucp is the login for the uucp administrator... allowing him to update certain files used by uucp, check the flow of communications, etc. The '*' is used so that nobody can log into these uid's except by being root. Root has the ability to 'su' to any other uid without a password check, anybody else would not be able to login to these uid's without being root. Hope this helps. Chris > > Just curious... >|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| >| Wilson SHEK | ACSnet : shek@mullian.mu.oz | >| Department of Elec Engineering | internet : shek@mullian.mu.oz.au | >| University of Melbourne | uunet : uunet!munnari!mullian!shek | -- | Chris Anderson | | QMA, Inc. email : {csusac,sactoh0}!utgard!chris | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | My employer never listens to me, so why should he care what I say? |
perry@ccssrv.UUCP (Perry Hutchison) (11/11/89)
In article <2666@munnari.oz.au> shek@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (Wilson SHEK) writes: > In the /etc/passwd file, there are some strange entries ... > daemon:*:1:1:the UniX Daemon:/: > sys:*:2:2::/:/bin/csh > bin:*:3:3::/bin: > uucp:*:4:4::/var/spool/uucppublic: > news:*:6:6::/var/spool/news:/bin/csh > Who/what are they? Does the '*' in the password field have any meaning? This is approximate. flames >/dev/null daemon Owner of print despoolers and other automatic processes sys Owner of some SYStem stuff bin Owner of most of the system BINaries uucp Unix to Unix CoPy program -- dialup email and news transporter news The news system Your mileage may vary, especially as to finding files and/or processes which are actually owned by the first three of these. In some systems, most such files and processes are owned by root instead. The * will not match any possible password, thereby preventing logins to these "user" id's.
davef@lakesys.lakesys.com (Dave Fenske) (11/12/89)
Has anyone tried connecting an IBM system 38 to Unix? I'd be interested in methods which might have been tried. DF