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(python2.1-lib.info)pwd

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The 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.