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1 |
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2 :mod:`pwd` --- The password database |
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3 ==================================== |
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4 |
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5 .. module:: pwd |
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6 :platform: Unix |
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7 :synopsis: The password database (getpwnam() and friends). |
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8 |
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9 |
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10 This module provides access to the Unix user account and password database. It |
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11 is available on all Unix versions. |
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12 |
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13 Password database entries are reported as a tuple-like object, whose attributes |
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14 correspond to the members of the ``passwd`` structure (Attribute field below, |
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15 see ``<pwd.h>``): |
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16 |
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17 +-------+---------------+-----------------------------+ |
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18 | Index | Attribute | Meaning | |
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19 +=======+===============+=============================+ |
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20 | 0 | ``pw_name`` | Login name | |
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21 +-------+---------------+-----------------------------+ |
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22 | 1 | ``pw_passwd`` | Optional encrypted password | |
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23 +-------+---------------+-----------------------------+ |
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24 | 2 | ``pw_uid`` | Numerical user ID | |
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25 +-------+---------------+-----------------------------+ |
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26 | 3 | ``pw_gid`` | Numerical group ID | |
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27 +-------+---------------+-----------------------------+ |
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28 | 4 | ``pw_gecos`` | User name or comment field | |
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29 +-------+---------------+-----------------------------+ |
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30 | 5 | ``pw_dir`` | User home directory | |
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31 +-------+---------------+-----------------------------+ |
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32 | 6 | ``pw_shell`` | User command interpreter | |
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33 +-------+---------------+-----------------------------+ |
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34 |
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35 The uid and gid items are integers, all others are strings. :exc:`KeyError` is |
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36 raised if the entry asked for cannot be found. |
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37 |
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38 .. note:: |
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39 |
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40 .. index:: module: crypt |
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41 |
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42 In traditional Unix the field ``pw_passwd`` usually contains a password |
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43 encrypted with a DES derived algorithm (see module :mod:`crypt`). However most |
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44 modern unices use a so-called *shadow password* system. On those unices the |
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45 *pw_passwd* field only contains an asterisk (``'*'``) or the letter ``'x'`` |
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46 where the encrypted password is stored in a file :file:`/etc/shadow` which is |
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47 not world readable. Whether the *pw_passwd* field contains anything useful is |
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48 system-dependent. If available, the :mod:`spwd` module should be used where |
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49 access to the encrypted password is required. |
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50 |
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51 It defines the following items: |
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52 |
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53 |
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54 .. function:: getpwuid(uid) |
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55 |
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56 Return the password database entry for the given numeric user ID. |
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57 |
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58 |
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59 .. function:: getpwnam(name) |
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60 |
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61 Return the password database entry for the given user name. |
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62 |
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63 |
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64 .. function:: getpwall() |
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65 |
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66 Return a list of all available password database entries, in arbitrary order. |
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67 |
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68 |
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69 .. seealso:: |
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70 |
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71 Module :mod:`grp` |
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72 An interface to the group database, similar to this. |
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73 |
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74 Module :mod:`spwd` |
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75 An interface to the shadow password database, similar to this. |
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76 |