>Do users even really need an account then? How are they retrieving the information? FTP? Why not use some sort of username mapping scheme instead? Yes, this is more complex, and would take a little more managing, but at least your wouldn't have to flub the passwd file.

The accounts are needed to keep the various IRS files separated by their id number. Using the numbers make the BBS system extremely easy to setup and maintain. Three scripts. Two used by root to distribute files off a floppy into the accounts, and a bbs_login shell script that is uses as the login shell. It contains less than 50 lines of code. Linux does the rest.


>
>BTW... How do you like the ReiserFS?

It lets me sleep at night. The BBS PC has been up over 50 days. The only crash came 30 minutes after I set it up, when the second HD died. The ReiserFS handled it so smoothly I had to check to be sure it had died. Since the /home was gone anyway I decided to see how ReiserFS would do if I just pulled the plug. So, I hit the reset button and folks standing around watching, several of whom are critical of Linux and didn't want to see this install, gasped! About 30 seconds later the kdm was asking for a login. No problems. No /home dir, but that was to be expected. Total cost of BBS system: $35 for SuSE 6.4 from Best Buy. Hardware: P100 with 70MB of RAM. The new system has 128MB on a P266 with one 4GB HD. I have second HD all ready setup with SuSE, the mgetty and scripts. If the first drive dies all we have to do is power down, switch the HD cable from the dead drive to the standby drive and plug in the power cable to the HD, put the cover back on and reboot. Probably take three minutes.

I've been using ReiserFS on my PC at home for several months now. I'm beginning to consider my UPS is redundant. Only it's lightening and surge protection is worth keeping it.
JLK


>
>j