[ale] root wants to read a PW

[Byron A Jeff]

> 
> Hi
> I use RedHat 6.1 and would like to know how I can read the password of
> one of my users.
> Under Gnome all PW are encripted....
> Please could you help me .
> Stephan

Password encryption is done that way on purpose. As root all yoiu can do is
change the password.

If you like you could take the password and run it through some password
cracking software. But RH like most modern Unixes force users to pick
passwords that are off the beaten path.

But thinking about it there's no apparent reason why you'd need a user's
password. With the su command you can become them, as root you can read/write
all the files they have on the system, and you can change their password at
will. So if I may ask why is it that you need their password.

The easiest way is to simply ask the user.

BAJ
>