Chris Jones sez:
/* 
 * 1) User runs chfn.

Cool.  A generic tmp file, not ptmp, is created.

 * 
 * 2) Sysadmin edits user's passwd info.
 *

Vipw.  Creates /etc/ptmp.

 * 3) User finishes editing his info, and hits :wq.

User gets "/etc/ptmp:  Password file busy, try again later", OR
it goes into a waiting game if the user wants it to.

 * 
 * 4) Now what?  I guess chfn should take out a lock, and then verify
 * that its idea of the previous values matches what's currently in
 * passwd; otherwise, it errors out.  But this could cause some confusion
 * on the part of the user...

This is really getting absurd here (general comment; not to catch any
one person).

The ONLY program that should ever create ptmp as an active lock AND HOLD
IT FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME should be vipw.  Other programs which need
ptmp should batch the input (i.e. wait until the user's done) and only
create ptmp when the data is ready, i.e.

	1.	user edits data
	2.	user quits
	3.	chsh/chfn/passwd filters data from vi tmp file (NOT ptmp!)
		and mixes existing passwd data with requested change data.
		_THIS_ is what comprises ptmp for a very short period of time.
	4.	ptmp moves to master.passwd
	5.	old compat passwd file is derived from master.passwd
	6.	pwd_mkdb is run

...or am I missing something?

 * 
 * Chris
 * 
 * -- 
 * -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * Chris Jones                                    cjones@rupert.honors.montana.edu
 *            Mad scientist in training...
 * "Is this going to be a stand-up programming session, sir, or another bug hunt?"
 */





				--*greywolf;
--
Friends don't let friends use Windows NT.