PASSWD(5)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual		PASSWD(5)



NAME
     passwd - password files

DESCRIPTION
     _P_a_s_s_w_d files are files consisting of newline separated
     records, one per user, containing ten colon (``:'')
     separated fields.	These fields are as follows:

	   name          user's login name
	   password	 user's _e_n_c_r_y_p_t_e_d password
	   uid		 user's id
	   gid		 user's login group id
	   class	 user's general classification (unused)
	   change	 password change time
	   expire	 account expiration time
	   gecos	 general information about the user
	   home_dir	 user's home directory
	   shell	 user's login shell

     The _n_a_m_e field is the login used to access the computer
     account, and the _u_i_d field is the number associated with it.
     They should both be unique across the system (and often
     across a group of systems) since they control file access.

     While it is possible to have multiple entries with identical
     login names and/or identical user id's, it is usually a mis-
     take to do so.  Routines that manipulate these files will
     often return only one of the multiple entries, and that one
     by random selection.

     The login name must never begin with a hyphen (``-''); also,
     it is strongly suggested that neither upper-case characters
     or dots (``.'') be part of the name, as this tends to con-
     fuse mailers.  No field may contain a colon (``:'') as this
     has been used historically to separate the fields in the
     user database.

     The password field is the _e_n_c_r_y_p_t_e_d form of the password.
     If the _p_a_s_s_w_o_r_d field is empty, no password will be required
     to gain access to the machine.  This is almost invariably a
     mistake.  Because these files contain the encrypted user
     passwords, they should not be readable by anyone without
     appropriate privileges.

     The group field is the group that the user will be placed in
     upon login.  Since this system supports multiple groups (see
     _g_r_o_u_p_s(1)) this field currently has little special meaning.

     The _c_l_a_s_s field is currently unused.  In the near future it
     will be a key to a _t_e_r_m_c_a_p(5) style database of user attri-
     butes.




Printed 11/26/99	   May 8, 1989				1






PASSWD(5)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual		PASSWD(5)



     The _c_h_a_n_g_e field is the number in seconds, GMT, from the
     epoch, until the password for the account must be changed.
     This field may be left empty to turn off the password aging
     feature.

     The _e_x_p_i_r_e field is the number in seconds, GMT, from the
     epoch, until the account expires.	This field may be left
     empty to turn off the account aging feature.

     The _g_e_c_o_s field normally contains comma (``,'') separated
     subfields as follows:

	   name          user's full name
	   office	 user's office number
	   wphone	 user's work phone number
	   hphone	 user's home phone number

     This information is used by the _f_i_n_g_e_r(1) program.

     The user's home directory is the full UNIX path name where
     the user will be placed on login.

     The shell field is the command interpreter the user prefers.
     If the _s_h_e_l_l field is empty, the Bourne shell (/_b_i_n/_s_h) is
     assumed.

SEE ALSO
     chpass(1), login(1), passwd(1), getpwent(3), mkpasswd(8),
     vipw(8) adduser(8)

BUGS
     User information should (and eventually will) be stored
     elsewhere.






















Printed 11/26/99	   May 8, 1989				2