Does any know where I can find a list of values for the /etc/shadow
file password field?

ie. *NP* = No Password

I am looking specifically for *SN*

Thanks,

Alex

"gwu2004" <arh_pitt93@yahoo.com> writes:

>Does any know where I can find a list of values for the /etc/shadow
>file password field?

>ie. *NP* = No Password

Well, it doesn't really mean that.

All strings which are not valid encrypted paswords make it impossible
to login using a password.

The only one which is really special is "*LK*" (as prefix); it indicates that
the account is locked and cannot be used, even for cron jobs.

Casper
-- 
Expressed in this posting are my opinions.  They are in no way related
to opinions held by my employer, Sun Microsystems.
Statements on Sun products included here are not gospel and may
be fiction rather than truth.

gwu2004 wrote:
> Does any know where I can find a list of values for the /etc/shadow
> file password field?
> 
> ie. *NP* = No Password
> 
> I am looking specifically for *SN*
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Alex
> 
man shadow gives some information, but I can't find SN.

-- 
Dave K

http://www.southminster-branch-line.org.uk/

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: month-year@domain. Hitting reply will work
for a couple of months only. Later set it manually. The month is
always written in 3 letters (e.g. Jan, not January etc)

gwu2004 <arh_pitt93@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Does any know where I can find a list of values for the /etc/shadow
> file password field?
> 
> ie. *NP* = No Password
> 
> I am looking specifically for *SN*
> 
> Thanks,

*SN* means nothing. *NP* means nothing. The man page for /etc/shadow is
very clear on this, although perhaps a bit too subtle.

     password        An encrypted password for the user generated
                     by crypt(3C), a lock string to indicate that
                     the login is not accessible, or  no  string,
                     which  shows  that  there is no password for
                     the login.

                     The lock string is defined as  *LK*  in  the
                     first four characters of the password field.

So the field is either:
1) An encrypted string
2) *LK*
3) empty

If it is anything other than *LK* or empty, then is is assumed to be a
string encrypted with crypt. All other values (NP, *SN*, etc.) will block
access to the account because there is no valid string that will encrypt
to them. Cron jobs, however, will still run from this account (which they
wouldn't do if the field was filled with *LK*).

Colin