> I'm still trying to back this linux server up to my netbsd box.  I 
> already tarred up the home directories and everything else.  Except 
> the password file.  Now, I'm aware that netbsd and linux use 
> different formats, but my main problem seems to be that the linux box 
> uses DES and my netbsd box uses MD5 for passwords.  I already have 20 

linux could use MD5 passwords. set it in login.defs and then let all users
change their passwords (or even set the same) to convert.

> or so accounts on my netbsd box.  Is there a way I can add the ~500 
> or so user accounts/passwd entries from my linux box to the netbsd 
> passwd file?  How can I convert them to MD5?  Or can I just change 
password are encoded the way that it cannot be decoded and/or
converted. when you log in your password is encoded and then compared to
encoded in file.

my question :

how is netbsd passwords encoded. it does not like MD5 on my machine (1.5)

it's 13 chars per password