Re: Why do system users have valid shells

[Bernd Eckenfels <ecki@calista.eckenfels.6bone.ka-ip.net>]

In article <[🔎] 1843.216.196.203.220.1066819179.squirrel@www.iegrec.org> you wrote:
> Out of curiosity, what security benefit does a shell of /bin/false grant,
> that say, an encrypted password of "NOLOGIN" (or equivalently "*") does not
> grant?

Two things, first it is more obvious from reading the password file (and
therefore also avoids someone sneakyly enable those accounts (would you
notice?)) and secondly some other programs like ftp treat accounts with
shells which are in /etc/shells better than others.

And again it is a matter of "not granting priveledges where not needed".

Greetings
Bernd