Xref: utzoo comp.unix.questions:9330 comp.bugs.sys5:567 Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!gatech!emcard!stiatl!meo From: meo@stiatl.UUCP (Miles O'Neal) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.bugs.sys5 Subject: Re: SVR3 passwd changes mode of passwd file Summary: Not an answer, but related Message-ID: <344@stiatl.UUCP> Date: 21 Sep 88 14:17:36 GMT References: <3394@dunkshot.mips.COM> Organization: Sales Technologies Inc., Atlanta, GA Lines: 12 In article <3394@dunkshot.mips.COM>, dce@mips.COM (David Elliott) writes: > > It turns out that the System V (or at least SVR3) version of the > passwd command will cause the resultant passwd file to be mode > 0444. I have had a couple of complaints about this, and would like > to decide on a solution. I suggest you tell the complainers to always leave the passwd file 0444. NOBODY besides root should have access to that, and root can always w! from vi to force a write. User-friendly interfaces can set their uid to root, as long as they are smart enough not to become dangerous, or TOO friendly to non-root users...