[CFT] Need Testers for: sysutils/bsdconfig

[Devin Teske]

On Jun 22, 2012, at 3:32 PM, Devin Teske wrote:

> 
> On Jun 22, 2012, at 5:27 AM, Clayton Milos wrote:
> 
>> 
>> When selecting user account expiry the calendar starts at 1 January 1970. I
>> understand that this is when Unix time started but it would be nice for it
>> to start from the current date.
>> 
> 
> This was on-purpose because there is a discrepancy in passwd(5) manual regarding what a value of zero (0) means for these fields.
> 
> From passwd(5):
> 
>      The change field is the number of seconds from the epoch, UTC, until the
>      password for the account must be changed.  This field may be left empty
>      to turn off the password aging feature.
> 
> Nowhere in the manual does it say that zero is a synonym to being left empty.
> 

And yet, this is how the system treats zero (was my complaint).

The user root (and toor, and several other system users) come with a default value of zero for this field.

If zero was treated according to the manual, then root would be disabled by default. But that's clearly not the case in a default installation which has a value of zero.

So, when you're using bsdconfig to view an existing user that has a value of zero, you will notice that the default calendar date/time that is chosen corresponds to "zero seconds from the epoch, UTC", despite the fact that I know (and you know) that zero is synonymous with NULL.

So I'm a fan of updating the man page and when that is done, I am happy to change bsdconfig to treat zero as-such. But right now I wanted to stay true to the manual (which plainly states that any non-NULL value is treated as seconds from the epoch).
-- 
Devin

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