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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mira.net.au!inquo!news.seinf.abb.se!nooft.abb.no!Norway.EU.net!nntp.uio.no!news.cais.net!van-bc!news.mindlink.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!startide.ctr.columbia.edu!wpaul From: wpaul@ctr.columbia.edu (Bill Paul) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: moving from NEXTSTEP to FreeBSD Date: 25 Jun 1996 15:44:00 GMT Organization: Columbia University Center for Telecommunications Research Lines: 42 Message-ID: <4qp1g0$id8@sol.ctr.columbia.edu> References: <4qnq9f$i2g@handel.jlc.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: startide.ctr.columbia.edu X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Daring to challenge the will of the almighty Leviam00se, Jason T. Nelson (jason@news.jlc.net) had the courage to say: : We'll be in the process of moving our last big NEXTSTEP (Intel) machine : from NEXTSTEP to FreeBSD (after much prodding). Problem is, it contains : a sizable password file in it's NetInfo database (for those who may not know, : it's NeXT's proprietary NIS-like distributed database). I can export the : NetInfo passwd file into it's Un*x flat-file format (standard /etc/passwd) : containing the DES encrypted passwords. If I install FreeBSD on a machine : with DES and just copy the exported password file, are the chances good that : the password file will operate (after tweaking some of the lower numbered : users, of course)? This is the only thing holding me back; I don't feel : like re-adding hundreds of user entries :) You can do the following: 1) Massage the /etc/passwd file into master.passwd format (man 5 passwd for an explanation of how to do this -- there's a sample awk script shown and the end of the man page which can do the conversion for you) and feed it into vipw. 2) Install the DES libcrypt. This has to be downloaded from a local FTP site as it does not ship with the base OS. FreeBSD uses an MD5-based crypt() by default which won't understand DES passwords. If you do install the DES-based libcrypt however, it will work with your DES-based passwd file just fine. Export restrictions prevent Walnut Creek from shipping FreeBSD CDs with DES software on them. If they included the DES distirbution with the OS, they would be unable to ship CDs out of the country, which would obviously be bad for business. -Bill -- ============================================================================= -Bill Paul (212) 854-6020 | System Manager, Master of Unix-Fu Work: wpaul@ctr.columbia.edu | Center for Telecommunications Research Home: wpaul@skynet.ctr.columbia.edu | Columbia University, New York City ============================================================================= "If you're ever in trouble, go to the CTR. Ask for Bill. He will help you." =============================================================================