>Right now, as it stands, /etc/security prints that message out no
>matter what if field two of the password file is not thirteen or
>twenty characters long. (What is twenty characters for?)

20 characters is for md5 based passwords.  you're using current, so a
quick look at passwd.conf (sorry, there's no example in the tree)
should give you an idea of this.

>I propose that we distinguish between accounts that are not password
>loginable and accounts that are off by using different characters for
>the second field -- something other than * -- and that I then hack the
>/etc/security script to properly note this distinction and ignore the
>accounts that are intentionally on but password disabled.
>
>Comments?

to get around this, i always use the string ActiveAccount in the
password field.  it's 13 characters and /etc/security doesn't
complain.  you could always use ClosedAccount as well.  or
SystemAccount.  use your imagination.

-- 
|-----< "CODE WARRIOR" >-----|
codewarrior@daemon.org             * "ah!  i see you have the internet
twofsonet@graffiti.com (Andrew Brown)                that goes *ping*!"
andrew@crossbar.com       * "information is power -- share the wealth."