[aklug] Re: NetBSD on Cobalts (was: Re: Friday Linux)

On Sun, 2010-09-05 at 02:04 -0800, bryanm@acsalaska.net wrote:
> On Sat, September 4, 2010 11:32 pm, Jim Gribbin wrote:
> > I also just installed into virtual box so I could tinker. Works the
> > same.
> >
> > # useradd -p password frilinux
> >
> > gives me
> >
> > useradd: Password 'password' is invalid: setting it to `*************'
> > #
> >
> > It doesn't seem to matter what password I give it, I'm told it's
> > invalid. If I leave out the password switch, I don't get the message,
> > but the password isn't blank either.
>
> This got me curious enough to check the manpage:
>
> -p passwd
> The encrypted password, as returned by crypt(3). The default is
> to disable the account.
>
> I guess you can manually encrypt the password, but it looks like
> the thing to do is leave it out, then change it with passwd.
>
> (Recall that anyone running ps can see your command line, so
> entering a password as part of any command is a Bad Idea.)
>
> If you're logged in as root, you should be able to change any
> password without knowing the old one.
>
> --
> Bryan Medsker
> bryanm@acsalaska.net
>
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You and Royce are correct on this. My mistake was to su to [user], then
try to change the password.

I don't understand why useradd has a password switch that, as near as I
can tell anyway, is unusable. Oh well, I seem to have that part usable.
I will refrain for the time being of claiming to have it actually
figured out :-)

I now have it where I can log in as a user and su to root.

Next up: ttys!!

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Received on Sun Sep 5 15:18:06 2010