Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 12:20:03 -0700 (PDT) From: swear@attbi.com (Gary W. Swearingen) To: freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: docs/43112: man 5 passwd not correct Message-ID: <200209201920.g8KJK3gX054279@freefall.freebsd.org>
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The following reply was made to PR docs/43112; it has been noted by GNATS.
From: swear@attbi.com (Gary W. Swearingen)
To: Nicolas Rachinsky <nicolas@dauerreden.de>
Cc: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.org
Subject: Re: docs/43112: man 5 passwd not correct
Date: 20 Sep 2002 12:16:24 -0700
Nicolas Rachinsky <nicolas@dauerreden.de> writes:
> .Os
> .Sh NAME
> -.Nm passwd
> -.Nd format of the password file
> +.Nm passwd ,
> +.Nm master.passwd
> +.Nd format of the password files
Maybe also add pwd.db and spwd.db, since the page sorta gives their
formats too; and they could use a "home".
The page needs an introduction, especially if it's going to document two
or more files. How about replacing the first paragraph with something
like this:
These "password files" contain information about user (AKA login)
accounts (and some do not hold passwords!). Normally, changes are
made first to the master.passwd file and then a program uses that in
generating the other files which contain only public information or
are in faster-access format or both. (This may be done with an
editor and pwd_mkdb(8) or with one of several programs like vipw(8),
pw(8), or yp(8) which change all of the files.)
This manual entry documents the format of master.passwd text file
and the use of it's data; passwd is the same except without the
"class", "change", and "expire" fields. The .db files contain the
same data in db(3)-format. The fields are as follows:
(and not making the PR-proposed changes after the "Name" section.)
This intro duplicates some information found later in the page, so that
could be edited out, if you want to take the time.
I think the page should make specific recommendations about the
permissions of the files, instead of just hinting about it, but that's a
different PR, I suppose.
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