Re: Questions regarding the base system

[bruce@pixar.com (Bruce Perens)]

From: Christoph Lameter <clameter@waterf.org>
> Why would the base system create a user?
bruce>The installation program creates a user just after the system boots for
bruce>the first time. Note that this is not done from the installation menu
bruce>program, it's done by a script that runs when the system is booted
bruce>after it has been installed.
> I know but what is the purpose even before the installation is complete?

We need a place to direct the "postmaster" mail, since it is very rude
to have nobody listening to the postmaster address in case of mail
spewing problems. We don't want to just dump the mail in root's mailbox
because we discourage people from reading mail as root. So as soon as
the system comes up, we ask the name of the administrative user, and
create that users login. We then point the postmaster mail at it.

	Thanks

	Bruce
--
Bruce Perens, Pixar Animation Studios
*** "Toy Story" video tape in U.S. stores October 30 ***
Worldwide box office total for "Toy Story": $353,275,005

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