Adding users to /etc/passwd for ssh purposes, but not as a local Windows user

Adding users to /etc/passwd for ssh purposes, but not as a local Windows user

[Keith Christian]

Suppose a Windows 2000/XP/2003 machine exists where three accounts need to be
added for use only with SSH to a Unix/Linux machine, for ssh/scp/sftp use.

Further suppose these user accounts are to be named ssh_user_a, ssh_user_b,
and ssh_user_c, and that these should exist only in Cygwin's /etc/passwd file
- they won't be added as local Windows users.

My question is whether these users can be added only to Cygwin's /etc/passwd
file so that passwordless logins can be achieved, using .ssh/authorized_keys.

Possible?

Thanks,

==========Keith

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Re: Adding users to /etc/passwd for ssh purposes, but not as a local Windows user

[Larry Hall (Cygwin)]

Keith Christian wrote:
> Suppose a Windows 2000/XP/2003 machine exists where three accounts need to be
> added for use only with SSH to a Unix/Linux machine, for ssh/scp/sftp use.
> 
> Further suppose these user accounts are to be named ssh_user_a, ssh_user_b,
> and ssh_user_c, and that these should exist only in Cygwin's /etc/passwd file
> - they won't be added as local Windows users.
> 
> My question is whether these users can be added only to Cygwin's /etc/passwd
> file so that passwordless logins can be achieved, using .ssh/authorized_keys.
> 
> Possible?


Why not just give it a whirl.  Then you can tell us. ;-)


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216 Dalton Rd.                          (508) 893-9889 - FAX
Holliston, MA 01746

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Re: Adding users to /etc/passwd for ssh purposes, but not as a local Windows user

[Corinna Vinschen]

On Jul 24 19:09, Keith Christian wrote:
> Suppose a Windows 2000/XP/2003 machine exists where three accounts need to be
> added for use only with SSH to a Unix/Linux machine, for ssh/scp/sftp use.
> 
> Further suppose these user accounts are to be named ssh_user_a, ssh_user_b,
> and ssh_user_c, and that these should exist only in Cygwin's /etc/passwd file
> - they won't be added as local Windows users.

Nope.  Every account in /etc/passwd needs a real account in Windows,
given as SID in the pw_gecos field.  Cygwin has no own user management
but relies on Windows' user management.

What you can do is to create (or choose an existing) single account in
Windows, create three entries for this user in /etc/passwd, edit
/etc/passwd to give these three accounts different names and different
Cygwin uids, but let them all still refer to this single Windows
account.  And then expect weirdnesses.  For instance, the files created
by any of these accounts will of course be owned by the underlying
Windows account.  An `ls -l' will always show the files being owned by
the user entry showing up first in /etc/passwd.  They are simply only
one account actually, whatever you fake in /etc/passwd.


Corinna

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Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Project Co-Leader          cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat

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Re: Adding users to /etc/passwd for ssh purposes, but not as a local Windows user

[Keith Christian]

--- Corinna Vinschen <corinna-cygwin@cygwin.com> wrote:

> On Jul 24 19:09, Keith Christian wrote:
> > Suppose a Windows 2000/XP/2003 machine exists where three accounts need to
> be
> > added for use only with SSH to a Unix/Linux machine, for ssh/scp/sftp use.
> > 
> > Further suppose these user accounts are to be named ssh_user_a,
> ssh_user_b,
> > and ssh_user_c, and that these should exist only in Cygwin's /etc/passwd
> file
> > - they won't be added as local Windows users.
> 
> Nope.  Every account in /etc/passwd needs a real account in Windows,
> given as SID in the pw_gecos field.  Cygwin has no own user management
> but relies on Windows' user management.
> 
> What you can do is to create (or choose an existing) single account in
> Windows, create three entries for this user in /etc/passwd, edit
> /etc/passwd to give these three accounts different names and different
> Cygwin uids, but let them all still refer to this single Windows
> account.  And then expect weirdnesses.  For instance, the files created
> by any of these accounts will of course be owned by the underlying
> Windows account.  An `ls -l' will always show the files being owned by
> the user entry showing up first in /etc/passwd.  They are simply only
> one account actually, whatever you fake in /etc/passwd.

Hi Corinna,

Thanks for the explanation.  Last evening, the sequence below allowed the
creation of an alternate user.  Assume "kchristian" as an existing Windows
user and "keith" as the new Cygwin user.

1. As superuser: vi /etc/passwd

2. Duplicate an existing Windows user (in my case, "kchristian" user via
"yyp."

2. Change the UID from X to X+1:    :s/X/X+1/g

3. mkdir /home/keith

4. chmod -R keith:None /home/keith

5. passwd keith

6. Assuming SSHD is running, log in to the new Cygwin user account with "ssh
keith@127.0.0.1"

Steps 1-6 worked without problems.


The only thing remaining is to get the authorized_keys settings just right so
that I can perform SSH passwordless logins between Cygwin and Linux.  I've
done this before but so far SSH is still asking for a password.  (Probably a
permission issue in ~/.ssh or files within it.)

The Cygwin team is doing an excellent job with the product.  Cygwin is so good
that I can avoid an impressive amount of "interface GUI-dom."

==========Keith

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Re: Adding users to /etc/passwd for ssh purposes, but not as a local Windows user

[Corinna Vinschen]

On Jul 25 06:21, Keith Christian wrote:
> --- Corinna Vinschen <XXXXXXX-XXXXXX@XXXXXX.XXX> wrote:



http://cygwin.com/acronyms/#PCYMTNQREAIYR




> > Nope.  Every account in /etc/passwd needs a real account in Windows,
> > given as SID in the pw_gecos field.  Cygwin has no own user management
> > but relies on Windows' user management.
> > 
> > What you can do is to create (or choose an existing) single account in
> > Windows, create three entries for this user in /etc/passwd, edit
> > /etc/passwd to give these three accounts different names and different
> > Cygwin uids, but let them all still refer to this single Windows
> > account.  And then expect weirdnesses.  For instance, the files created
> > by any of these accounts will of course be owned by the underlying
> > Windows account.  An `ls -l' will always show the files being owned by
> > the user entry showing up first in /etc/passwd.  They are simply only
> > one account actually, whatever you fake in /etc/passwd.
> 
> Hi Corinna,
> 
> Thanks for the explanation.  Last evening, the sequence below allowed the
> creation of an alternate user.  Assume "kchristian" as an existing Windows
> user and "keith" as the new Cygwin user.
> 
> 1. As superuser: vi /etc/passwd
> 
> 2. Duplicate an existing Windows user (in my case, "kchristian" user via
> "yyp."
> 
> 2. Change the UID from X to X+1:    :s/X/X+1/g
> 
> 3. mkdir /home/keith
> 
> 4. chmod -R keith:None /home/keith
> 
> 5. passwd keith

As I explained above, this is still the Windows user kchristian.  So I
assume you know now that you changed the password for the Windows user
kchristian.


Corinna

-- 
Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Project Co-Leader          cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat

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PCYMTNQREAIYR, suggestions for Yahoo Web Email?

[Keith Christian]

--- Corinna Vinschen wrote:

> On Jul 25 06:21, Keith Christian wrote:
> > --- Corinna Vinschen <XXXXXXX-XXXXXX@XXXXXX.XXX> wrote:
> http://cygwin.com/acronyms/#PCYMTNQREAIYR


I use the Yahoo Mail web interface, like thousands of others.  Anyone know
offhand how not to quote raw email addresses, per PCYMTNQREAIYR?  In the
meantime, I'll look through Yahoo Mail help.

=======Keith

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RE: PCYMTNQREAIYR, suggestions for Yahoo Web Email?

[Dave Korn]

On 25 July 2006 16:22, Keith Christian wrote:

> --- Corinna Vinschen wrote:
> 
>> On Jul 25 06:21, Keith Christian wrote:
>>> --- Corinna Vinschen <XXXXXXX-XXXXXX@XXXXXX.XXX> wrote:
>> http://cygwin.com/acronyms/#PCYMTNQREAIYR
> 
> 
> I use the Yahoo Mail web interface, like thousands of others.  Anyone know
> offhand how not to quote raw email addresses, per PCYMTNQREAIYR?

  Failing all else, you can always do it manually.

    cheers,
      DaveK
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Can't think of a witty .sigline today....


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