Purpose of /etc/passwd- and /etc/shadow- ?

[Lewis Handy]

>
> adding a new user with "useradd ..." will create two additional files
> never removed:
>
> /etc/passwd- and /etc/shadow-
>
> Question: are these files only created for backup purposes, or is there
> another reason for this?
>
>
> Looking at a system I have recently added users to the /ect/passwd- and
/etc/shadow- files are as they were prior to adding the users, so I would
assume that they are created as a backup of the original state before the
useradd procedure is actually committed.

Hopefully someone with better knowledge than me will be able to confirm
this.


Lewis
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