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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...