/etc/shadow File Fields ??

[MikeL_4]

We are running Red Hat Linux 5.5 and I've noticed some differences in the /etc/shadow file on some of our servers...

On some of the entries, fields 5, 6, and 7 are coded as I would expect, as this is what is in /etc/login.defs...
user1:KMcidSND/gLdw:14873:0:90:7:7::

But on some users, there is nothing coded in these fields, as in following...
user2:KMcidSND/gLdw:14684::::::

If these fields are not defined, what do they default to ??

Any ideas as to what might cause them to not get populated properly ??

[Jared Middleton]

I would guess that user2 was added via a different method than user1... something which didn't automatically add the password aging info. When the aging fields are blank, I believe the password simply won't expire.

See "man chage" for how to populate the missing values.

Also: http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/understanding-etcshadow-file/