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From: Ade Barkah <mbarkah@hemi.com>
Message-Id: <199512310246.TAA13020@hemi.com>
Subject: Answer to /bin/ls and ftp (should be documented)
To: hackers@freebsd.org
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 19:46:49 -0700 (MST)
Cc: questions@freebsd.org
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Someone just asked why ftp doesn't list proper usernames when an
anonymous user issues 'ls'. Unfortunately I deleted the email
before deciding to answer question. =) I hope whoever asked it
is reading this mail (I think it was posted to -hackers, but 
maybe it was to -questions, so forgive me for cross posting.)

Under 4.4BSD, /bin/ls caches directory entries using the pwcache(3) 
package, which in turn uses getpwent() and friends to find the entry 
in the password database. The implication being, /bin/ls never looks
in /etc/passwd, so even if you have created a dummy /etc/passwd under 
~ftp, `ls' still cannot resolve the user name.

The solution would be to make a password database using the pwd_mkdb
command. The steps are as follows:

   1. Make a dummy master.passwd, either by copying your real
      /etc/master.passwd to a temporary directory then deleting
      all but the necessary entries, or by creating it by hand.
      Remember that the master.passwd format is more complete
      than the /etc/passwd format. A sample entry is as follows:

      ftp:*:999:1002::0:0:Ftp Account:/usr20/f/ftp:/usr/local/etc/ftpd

   2. Now compile your dummy master.passwd file into the password
      databases. In a directory other than /etc, use:

      pwd_mkdb -d . master.passwd

      This command will make two database files, pwd.db and spwd.db. 
      Erase the spwd.db file, especially if your dummy master.passwd 
      file contained real passwords.

   3. Copy the new pwd.db file into ~ftp/etc, and make it only
      readable to everyone (chmod a=r pwd.db.) You should have
      two files in ~ftp/etc directory: pwd.db, and group. The
      passwd file is not necessary. Here's an example of how
      the ~ftp/etc directory might look:

      -r--r--r--  1 root  ftp     15 Dec 18 10:38 group
      -r--r--r--  1 root  ftp  40960 Dec 18 19:14 pwd.db

   4. Make sure you copy /bin/ls into ~ftp/bin, and make it only
      executable by everyone (chmod a=x ls).

And you're all set.

This information should be documented somewhere, but I haven't
seen it anywhere. Perhaps it is in the FAQ now.

Regards,

-Ade Barkah
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