Provided by: passwd_4.0.18.1-9_i386 bug

NAME

        shadow - encrypted password file

DESCRIPTION

        shadow contains the encrypted password information for user’s accounts
        and optional the password aging information. Included is:
 
        ·   login name
 
        ·   encrypted password
 
        ·   days since Jan 1, 1970 that password was last changed
 
        ·   days before password may be changed
 
        ·   days after which password must be changed
 
        ·   days before password is to expire that user is warned
 
        ·   days after password expires that account is disabled
 
        ·   days since Jan 1, 1970 that account is disabled
 
        ·   a reserved field
 
        The password field must be filled. The encrypted password consists of
        13 to 24 characters from the 64 character alphabet a thru z, A thru Z,
        0 thru 9, \. and /. Optionally it can start with a "$" character. This
        means the encrypted password was generated using another (not DES)
        algorithm. For example if it starts with "$1$" it means the MD5-based
        algorithm was used.
 
        Refer to crypt(3) for details on how this string is interpreted.
 
        If the password field contains some string that is not valid result of
        crypt(3), for instance ! or *, the user will not be able to use a unix
        password to log in, subject to pam(7).
 
        The date of the last password change is given as the number of days
        since Jan 1, 1970. The password may not be changed again until the
        proper number of days have passed, and must be changed after the
        maximum number of days. If the minimum number of days required is
        greater than the maximum number of day allowed, this password may not
        be changed by the user.
 
        An account is considered to be inactive and is disabled if the password
        is not changed within the specified number of days after the password
        expires. An account will also be disabled on the specified day
        regardless of other password expiration information.
 
        This information supersedes any password or password age information
        present in /etc/passwd.
 
        This file must not be readable by regular users if password security is
        to be maintained.

FILES

        /etc/passwd
            User account information.
 
        /etc/shadow
            Secure user account information.
        chage(1), login(1), su(1), passwd(1), passwd(5), pwconv(8),
        pwunconv(8), sulogin(8).