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GNU Info (python2.1-lib.info)pwdThe password database ===================== The password database (`getpwnam()' and friends). This module provides access to the UNIX user account and password database. It is available on all UNIX versions. Password database entries are reported as 7-tuples containing the following items from the password database (see `<pwd.h>'), in order: Index Field Meaning ------ ----- ----- 0 `pw_name' Login name 1 `pw_passwd' Optional encrypted password 2 `pw_uid' Numerical user ID 3 `pw_gid' Numerical group ID 4 `pw_gecos' User name or comment field 5 `pw_dir' User home directory 6 `pw_shell' User command interpreter The uid and gid items are integers, all others are strings. `KeyError' is raised if the entry asked for cannot be found. *Note:* In traditional UNIX the field `pw_passwd' usually contains a password encrypted with a DES derived algorithm (see module `crypt' ). However most modern unices use a so-called _shadow password_ system. On those unices the field `pw_passwd' only contains a asterisk (`'*'') or the letter `x' where the encrypted password is stored in a file `/etc/shadow' which is not world readable. It defines the following items: `getpwuid(uid)' Return the password database entry for the given numeric user ID. `getpwnam(name)' Return the password database entry for the given user name. `getpwall()' Return a list of all available password database entries, in arbitrary order. See also: Note: grp An interface to the group database, similar to this. automatically generated by info2www version 1.2.2.9 |