[comp.sys.next] Bizarre password behavior in 1.0

rbp@investor.pgh.pa.us (Bob Peirce #305) (01/31/91)

I have encountered two password situations which do not seem right.
I hope someone can tell me what I am doing wrong or that this is a bug
which is fixed in 2.0.

I changed password using passwd.  This password was not recognized by
the login window.  I had to go in as root and use the user admin app to
enter it in a form the window would recognize.  I hope this isn't
significant, but I use control characters in my password.  This works in
the login window if set by root from the admin app and it works in Sys
III and Sys V.  Could it not work with the passwd command?  If not, what
does passwd think I am entering? 

All my logins have passwords and the login window supports this.
However, when me does an su to root, no password is demanded.
Membership in wheel seems to be all that is required.  Users who do not
belong to wheel are told they cannot su to root, which is fine, but even
a wheel member should need a password to become root.  Otherwise any
unattended terminal becomes a way to get root.
-- 
Bob Peirce, Pittsburgh, PA				  412-471-5320
...!uunet!pitt!investor!rbp			rbp@investor.pgh.pa.us