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Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 18:13:05 -0500 (EST)
From: Frank <frankd@yoda.fdt.net>
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To: user <jasper@terra.3rdplanet.com>
cc: Morini Stefano <ssteve@ns1.tizeta.it>, freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: passwd linux and FreeBSD
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> Unfortunately, to migrate passwords from a Linux system to a FreeBSD 
> system (which I have actually done) requires installing DES encryption to 
> replace the MD5 that FreeBSD comes with by default.  Since I did it wrong 
> the first time myself, I don't know if you want to trust my advice on the 
> matter. :-)  The _right_ way to do it is to download des.aa from 
> ftp.cdrom.com, drop to single-user mode (shutdown command with no 
> arguments), and unpack it from the root directory.  Then reboot 
> immediately: that's where I screwed up, and it killed my init binary 
> somehow.  Before any of this, though, you must remove the passswords for 
> any accounts you want to get at before you start copying the old ones.  
> chpass <username> will let you empty the password field for users; start 
> with root.  Then after you've installed DES, you can change passwords 
> normally with the passwd command or you can run chpass to paste in the 
> old names from your Linux passwd file (make sure you save it!).  Someone 
> in #freebsd on iRC told me all this (except how to screw up of course) 
> and I wish I could credit him/her, but alas I have forgotten who.

You will note from the header that Mr Morini is in Italy. You may also 
note that DES is not exportable outside the US.