etc/issue : undocumented, etc/dialups : undocumented etc..

[Stephen J. Friedl]

In article <538 at balaena.UUCP>, wezel at balaena.UUCP (Jos C. van Wezel) writes:
> 
> Skimming tru my sysV manuals I came across the file /etc/issue, in the
> man pages for getty. However it is only mentioned, no description.

The contents of /etc/issue is printed on the terminal before
the login prompt by getty, and there is no specific format for
the file.  It seems that even though a particular incantation of
getty is compiled without /etc/issue support, strings(1) will
indicate otherwise (not enough #ifdefs somewhere?).

> In my /bin/login (I'm on a 3B2, V3.1) after an od I found the path:
> /etc/dialups.

Login may be compiled with dialup passwords.  If, after the
usercode and personal password have passed, the current login
port is found in the file /etc/dialups (full pathnames, one per
line), then the file /etc/d_passwd is consulted for a per-shell
dialup password.  It's kind of like /etc/passwd except the first
field is the login shell name -- again, the full pathname.

/usr/lib/uucp/uucico:H/b2sFVwkXsGs:::::
/bin/sh:9rIqMXKUSczUY:::::
/bin/tty::::::

Here, /bin/sh and uucico both have different passwords, while the
"tty" login has none.  If the shell is not found in the file,
access is denied.  Be sure to keep /etc/d_passwd readable by root
only to make it harder for people to poke around.

** PRAISE ON *

Dialup passwords are *fabulous*.  Regular passwords are like
individual office locks, but dialup passwords are master locks on
the front door of the building.  If a disgruntled employee
leaves, there is no need for a mad rush to have *everybody*
change their password at once. 

In addition, office staff without modems at home don't need to be
given the dialup password ("You never know who your secretary is
sleeping with", to quote one of my customers).  It is much easier
to keep control of a single, well-chosen dialup password than
to control an office full of "susan1" and "lassie1" passwords.

If your Sys V vendor doesn't provide dialup passwords in /bin/login,
*complain* and *demand* them.

     Steve
-- 
Steve Friedl    V-Systems, Inc.  +1 714 545 6442    3B2-kind-of-guy
friedl at vsi.com     {backbones}!vsi.com!friedl    attmail!vsi!friedl
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