The passwd table contains information about the accounts of users in a domain. These users generally are, but are not required to be, NIS+ principals. Remember though, that if they are NIS+ principals, their credentials are not stored here, but in the domain's cred table. The passwd table usually grants read permission to the world (or to nobody).
Note: This table should not contain any entry for the root user (user ID 0). Store and maintain root's password information in the machine's /etc files.
The information in the passwd table is added when users' accounts are created.
The passwd table contains the following
columns:
| Passwd Table | |
|---|---|
| Column | Description |
| Name | User's login name, which is assigned when the user's account is created; the name can contain no uppercase characters and can have a maximum of eight characters |
| Passwd | User's encrypted password |
| UID | User's numerical ID, assigned when the user's account is created |
| GID | Numerical ID of the user's default group |
| GCOS | User's real name plus information that the user wishes to include in the From: field of a mail-message heading; an "&" in this column simply uses the user's login name |
| Home | Path name of the user's home directory. |
| Shell | User's initial shell program. |
| Shadow | (See Passwd Table Shadow Column (the following table).) |
The passwd table shadow column stores
restricted information about user accounts. It includes the following
information:
| Passwd Table Shadow Column | |
|---|---|
| Item | Description |
| Lastchg | Number of days between January 1, 1970, and the date the password was last modified |
| Min | Minimum number of days recommended between password changes |
| Max | Maximum number of days that the password is valid |
| Warn | Number of days that a user receives warning before being notified that his or her password has expired |
| Inactive | Number of days of inactivity allowed for the user |
| Expire | Absolute date past which the user's account is no longer valid |
| Flag | Reserved for future use: currently set to 0. |