Why is etc passwd world readable?

Why is etc passwd world readable?

In the old days, Unix-like OSes, including Linux, generally all kept the passwords in /etc/passwd. That file was world readable, and still is, because it contains information allowing mapping for example between numeric user IDs and user names.

How do you read etc?

Etc is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase et cetera (meaning “and the rest”). In English, it is pronounced as the entire phrase (even if it is abbreviated). The “c” in “cetera” is soft in modern English, so it sounds like an “s”.

What does etc passwd contains?

The /etc/passwd file contains the username, real name, identification information, and basic account information for each user. Each line in the file contains a database record; the record fields are separated by a colon (:).

What is the ETC passwd file?

The /etc/passwd file is a text-based database of information about users that may log into the system or other operating system user identities that own running processes. In many operating systems this file is just one of many possible back-ends for the more general passwd name service.

What is the use of ETC passwd file?

The password field in /etc/passwd is used by AIX to signify if there is a password or whether the account is blocked. When the login shell is null, login is successful and the resulting login shell is Bourne shell for ssh. When accessed via su the login shell is sh, which is a hard link to ksh.

How does etc passwd work?

/etc/passwd file stores essential information, which required during login. In other words, it stores user account information. The /etc/passwd is a plain text file. It contains a list of the system’s accounts, giving for each account some useful information like user ID, group ID, home directory, shell, and more.

What is ETC X11?

/etc/X11 is the location for all X11 host-specific configuration. This directory is necessary to allow local control if /usr is mounted read only.

How do I read etc passwd file?

How To Read the “/etc/passwd” File

  1. root: Account username.
  2. x: Placeholder for password information. The password is obtained from the “/etc/shadow” file.
  3. 0: User ID. Each user has a unique ID that identifies them on the system.
  4. 0: Group ID.
  5. root: Comment field.
  6. /root: Home directory.
  7. /bin/bash: User shell.

Can you use for example at the beginning of a sentence?

Usually only for example and for instance can begin new sentences. Each can begin a new sentence when the phrase is followed by a complete idea or sentence (not a list of items).

What is ETC file?

What is a ETC file? ETC is a file extensions associated with EarthTime application available for Microsoft Windows. ETC files store data used by EarthTime during its running.

Where is the ETC file?

(The \etc\hosts file usually exists at %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts .) If the directory and file don’t exist, you can create them. Some versions of Windows require that users have admin privileges to create or make changes to this file. You can now add entries to the file.