L is for Login

The first experience most people have with any computer usually begins with the process of 'logging in.' With just a user name and a password (hopefully a password) a user finds his/her way onto a computer system. Security policies usually define who when and how a person may log in to a particular computer or network. They might dictate which accounts are available to which computer an account naming scheme and/or password policies. On the surface it might appear to an end user that the login mechanisms on various UNIX platforms are the same. The user might use the same user name and password on several different types of computers and wind up in the same directory not knowing that the identification and authentication mechanisms varies from platform to platform. This paper will look at login commands authentication mechanisms passwords and password management programs used in several UNIX platforms highlighting aspects of Solaris 8 and Red Hat Linux (RH) 7.3.