passwd file corrupted

[Clarence Dold]

in article <664 at sumax.UUCP>, vanmane at sumax.UUCP (Mohan Vanmane) says:

> I have a Convergent Tech miniframe running unix system V.
> Last thing I did on the system was change the root password (while
> I was logged in as root).

> How can I bring this machine down to administrative mode so that I can
> change the password file?

How can I tell, via news, whether this is a legitimate request from an
authorized System Administrator, or a joke from an 'Intro to UNIX' student
that has a bet with his teacher that he can break into the system?
-- 
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Clarence A Dold - dold at tsmiti.Convergent.COM		(408) 434-5293
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