SVR3 passwd changes mode of passwd file

[Lawrence V. Cipriani]

In article <3394 at dunkshot.mips.COM> dce at mips.COM (David Elliott) writes:
>
	...
>I have had a couple of complaints about this [/bin/passwd changes mode of
>/etc/passwd explicitly to 0444 -lvc], and would like to decide on a solution.
>Is it reasonable to have passwd fix the mode of the new /etc/passwd
>to be the same as the current /etc/passwd?

No, unless you don't give a darn about security.  What exactly is your
complaint about mode 0444 on /etc/passwd? Anything one should be allowed
to do to /etc/passwd should be done by root or the owner of /etc.  A
carefully coded suid to root should do the job.  Please elaborate what your
need is.

>David Elliott		dce at mips.com  or  {ames,prls,pyramid,decwrl}!mips!dce
-- 
Larry Cipriani, AT&T Network Systems, Columbus OH, cbnews!lvc lvc at cbnews.ATT.COM