Passwd

Revision as of 18:15, 27 August 2012

This file contains the password information for users.

Ubuntu's default root entry:

root:*:15386:0:99999:7:::

Format:

username	upto 8 characters. a direct match to a line in `/etc/passwd`
password	blank indicates no password required. '`*`' indicates that the user has been disabled (may still `su` to that user though) Optionally it can start with a "$" character. This means the encrypted password was generated using another (not DES) algorithm. For example if it starts with "$1$" it means the MD5-based algorithm was used.
change date	the number of days since 1 Jan 1970
change delay	the number of days before the password may be changed. 0 indicates any time
password expiry	the number of days before the user MUST change the password. 99999 indicates a long time
number of days warning	before the user will be forced to change their password
number of days before disable	after the password has epired. I assume blank is never
expiry date	number of days since 1 Jan 1970 that the account was disabled
reserved	-

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |-
 | password || blank indicates no password required. '<code>*</code>' indicates that the user has been disabled (may still <code>su</code> to that user though)
+Optionally it can start with a "$" character. This means the encrypted password was generated using another (not DES) algorithm. For example if it starts with "$1$" it means the MD5-based algorithm was used.
 |-
 | change date || the number of days since 1 Jan 1970