changes in /etc/group

TheGrudge · 2008-03-14 17:41:51

Hi, I recently used vimdiff to merge some .pacnew-files in /etc.
Now I found out that /etc/group changed its syntax. For example

root:x:0:root

changed to

root::0:root

Is it important to remove the 'x' in my current /etc/group file?

Cerebral · 2008-03-14 17:55:19

From 'man group':

GROUP(5)                   Linux Programmer's Manual                  GROUP(5)

NAME
       group - user group file

DESCRIPTION
       /etc/group  is  an  ASCII  file which defines the groups to which users
       belong.  There is one entry per line, and each line has the format:

              group_name:passwd:GID:user_list

       The field descriptions are:

       group_name
              the name of the group.

       password
              the (encrypted) group password.  If  this  field  is  empty,  no
              password is needed.

       GID    the numerical group ID.

       user_list
              all the group member's user names, separated by commas.

I'd leave it alone, apparently that field is related to password. If the root group works as expected, just leave it.

TheGrudge · 2008-03-14 18:02:58

ok...

ST.x · 2008-03-14 23:55:46

hmm my original group file already has:

root::0:root

TheGrudge · 2008-03-15 08:23:37

I installed Archlinux in March 2006, so maybe your installation is newer than mine...

brebs · 2008-03-15 09:05:21

Here's an explanation of that 2nd field, "password":

Group password — If set, this allows users who are not part of the group to join the group by using the newgrp command and typing the password stored here. If a lower case x is in this field, then shadow group passwords are being used.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-03-14 17:41:51

changes in /etc/group

#2 2008-03-14 17:55:19

Re: changes in /etc/group

#3 2008-03-14 18:02:58

Re: changes in /etc/group

#4 2008-03-14 23:55:46

Re: changes in /etc/group

#5 2008-03-15 08:23:37

Re: changes in /etc/group

#6 2008-03-15 09:05:21

Re: changes in /etc/group

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