passwd(5)							File Formats Manual							 passwd(5)

Name
       passwd - password file

Description
       The file is an ASCII file that contains the following information for each user:

	      Login name
	      Password field
	      User ID
	      Group ID
	      User's real name, office, extension, home phone
	      Initial working directory
	      Program to use as Shell

       Each  line  in the file represents a user entry.  Each field within a user entry is separated from the next by a colon.	Each user entry is
       separated from the next by a new line.  If the password field is null, no password is demanded; if the Shell field is null, then is used.

       This file resides in directory Because the password, if present, is encrypted, the file has general read permission and can  be	used,  for
       example, to map user IDs to names.

       The  ``user's  real name'' can contain an ampersand (&), meaning insert the login name.	This information is set by the command and used by
       the command.

       Appropriate precautions must be taken to lock the file against changes if it is to be edited with a text editor.  The command does the nec-
       essary locking.

       If  the system is running UPGRADE security level and an asterisk appears in the password field, or if the system is running ENHANCED level,
       then the content of the password field is ignored and the password for the account is located in the authentication database. See  and  the
       Security Guide for Administrators for more information.

       The  files  and	if they exist, contain the hashed version of the file.	If present, they are used by the and functions to retrieve entries
       rapidly.  See for more information.

       The database can be distributed in a network by a naming service, such as Yellow Pages or BIND/Hesiod.  See the Guide to the  Yellow  Pages
       Service or the Guide to the BIND/Hesiod Service for setup information.

Restrictions
       The ``name'' can contain only lowercase ASCII characters a to z and the numbers 0 to 9.

Files
See Also
       chfn(1), finger(1), login(1), passwd(1), crypt(3), getpwent(3), auth(5), group(5), adduser(8), mkpasswd(8), vipw(8)
       Guide to the BIND/Hesiod Service
       Guide to the Yellow Pages Service
       Security Guide for Administrators

																	 passwd(5)