How do I interpret this account info in Linux??

[PeeluckyDuckee]

When I type Vi /etc/passwd I get a listing of accounts. One of them is this...

plucky:x:500:500::/home/plucky:/bin/bash

I'm using RedHat Linux, if that matters. Newbie to Linux as well. Can someone please help the duckie here and shed some light as to what the above means?? Thx in advance 🙂

Plucky

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

Nevermind folks, just found out myself, it was right in the papers I was reading 😛 hehe Thanks anyways 🙂

Plucky

 

[thornc]

ok, you already got it but here goes for the ones that don't know....

/etc/passwd holds the account information in a linux/unix system ( no
user manager here 🙂 ) the structure is: on line for each user containing,

username:encrypted password:user id:group id:<real name>,<location>,
<contact>:home directory:user shell

Notes: the password in not be there ( x in place ) if one uses security package
like the shadow; group ids are present in /etc/group; <real name>,<location>,
<contact> are not required...

Also important are:
/etc/group Holds the group ids
/etc/shadow Holds the encrypted passwords using the shadow suite....