NAME

passwd − password file

DESCRIPTION

Passwd contains for each user the following information:

name (login name, contains no upper case)

encrypted password

numerical user ID

numerical group ID

user’s real name, office, extension, home phone. 

initial working directory

program to use as Shell

The name may contain ‘&’, meaning insert the login name.  This information is set by the chfn(1) command and used by the finger(1) command.

This is an ASCII file.  Each field within each user’s entry is separated from the next by a colon.  Each user is separated from the next by a new-line.  If the password field is null, no password is demanded; if the Shell field is null, then /bin/sh is used. 

This file resides in directory /etc.  Because of the encrypted passwords, it can and does have general read permission and can be used, for example, to map numerical user ID’s to names. 

Appropriate precautions must be taken to lock the file against changes if it is to be edited with a text editor; vipw(8) does the necessary locking.

FILES

/etc/passwd

SEE ALSO

getpwent(3), login(1), crypt(3), passwd(1), group(5), chfn(1), finger(1), vipw(8), adduser(8)

BUGS

A binary indexed file format should be available for fast access. 

User information (name, office, etc.) should be stored elsewhere. 

3rd Berkeley Distribution