From owner-freebsd-questions Thu Oct 30 17:31:35 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) id RAA28055 for questions-outgoing; Thu, 30 Oct 1997 17:31:35 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-questions) Received: from milehigh.denver.net (milehigh.denver.net [204.144.180.2]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id RAA28047 for ; Thu, 30 Oct 1997 17:31:29 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from jdc@milehigh.denver.net) Received: (from jdc@localhost) by milehigh.denver.net (8.8.7/8.8.5) id SAA05741; Thu, 30 Oct 1997 18:32:00 -0700 (MST) Message-ID: <19971030183159.51582@denver.net> Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 18:31:59 -0700 From: John-David Childs To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: username sizes character limits. References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.79 In-Reply-To: ; from ringlord@bbs.dcoisp.net on Thu, Oct 30, 1997 at 05:00:26PM -0500 Organization: Enterprise Internet Solutions Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk On Thursday October 30, 1997, ringlord@bbs.dcoisp.net had this to say about "username sizes character limits.": [SNIP] > First, the standard unix limit for user names is 8 characters. Of > course, twc-online is 10 characters. I then learned that if one changes > UT_NAMESIZE in /usr/include/utmp.h this limit can be overridden. But, I > have also been reading that this is not a good idea, due to certain > programs having code that can only deal with the 8 character limit? NIS is an example of a program which doesn't like > 8 character usernames...but other than that I've been doing it for a year and a half. You need to change /usr/src/include/utmp.h (not /usr/include/utmp.h... this will be rebuilt by the make world process)). Set UT_NAMESIZE to 16. In /usr/src/sys/sys/param.h, set MAXLOGNAME to 17. You need ALL of the sources to do a proper make world ("world" is a tag in /usr/src/Makefile which basically means "do everything from scratch"). You should have a GOOD understanding of /usr/src/Makefile before you do anything...and your system WILL be in a state of flux as new binaries replace old ones (you won't be able to do a ps, w, top, etc.) It's interesting to note that under 2.2.2-RELEASE I was only able to get 15 character usernames DESPITE changing utmp.h/param.h, and in 2.2.5-RELEASE I am only able to get 14 character usernames. I'm in the middle of redoing my system to make sure I didn't screw something up. > Ok, besides all that. In the man page for adduser, it says that > UT_NAMESIZE could be changed in /usr/include/utmp.h, and then you must > recompile the world? What in the heck does that mean? > Thanks for any info. Is this a kernel configuration? I keep reading > about make world attempts and such in this archive. Does this have > anything to do with recompiling the world? Was someone just trying to > be cute? > Thanks. > Jeremy > -- John-David Childs (JC612) Enterprise Internet Solutions System Administrator @denver.net/Internet-Coach/@ronan.net & Network Engineer 1031 S. Parker Rd. #I-8 Denver, CO 80231 As of this^H^H^H^H next week, passwords will be entered in Morse code.