.\"     Title: gshadow
.\"    Author: 
.\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets v1.70.1 <http://docbook.sf.net/>
.\"      Date: 06/06/2006
.\"    Manual: File Formats and Conversions
.\"    Source: File Formats and Conversions
.\"
.TH "GSHADOW" "5" "06/06/2006" "File Formats and Conversions" "File Formats and Conversions"
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.SH "NAME"
gshadow \- shadowed group file
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP

\fI/etc/gshadow\fR
contains the shadowed information for group accounts. It contains lines with the following colon\-separated fields:
.TP 3n
\(bu
group name
.TP 3n
\(bu
encrypted password
.TP 3n
\(bu
comma\-separated list of group administrators
.TP 3n
\(bu
comma\-separated list of group members
.sp
.RE
.PP
The group name and password fields must be filled. The encrypted password consists of characters from the 64\-character alphabet a thru z, A thru Z, 0 thru 9, \\. and /. Refer to
\fBcrypt\fR(3)
for details on how this string is interpreted. If the password field contains some string that is not valid result of
\fBcrypt\fR(3), for instance ! or *, the user will not be able to use a unix password to log in, subject to
\fBpam\fR(7).
.PP
This information supersedes any password present in
\fI/etc/group\fR.
.PP
This file must not be readable by regular users if password security is to be maintained.
.SH "FILES"
.TP 3n
\fI/etc/group\fR
Group account information.
.TP 3n
\fI/etc/gshadow\fR
Secure group account information.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.PP

\fBgroup\fR(5),
\fBgpasswd\fR(5),
\fBnewgrp\fR(5).