On Sun, 14 Mar 1999, Marc Baudoin wrote:

> The operator user does also trigger a warning in /etc/security
> after a clean install:
> 
> Login operator is off but still has a valid shell (/bin/csh)
> 
> As this user doesn't own a single file in a full installation, I
> wonder if it's useful...

'shutdown' is in group operator, and executable only by root and
operator. Many of the devices are also in the operator group by
default. In a typical organization, you want numerous people to have
operator priviledge, so that they can perform a controlled shutdown
when necessary, but not so many people to have root access. The
alternative of allowing anyone to perform a shutdown is even less
attractive. Even on my desktop computers, I always give the operator a
password, and shell, just in case I get locked out.  Of course, I
could always cycle power and Ctl-\ during the fsck, but that's nasty.