Where is the user password stored?0.5 Marks/etc/shadow/etc/password/root/password/etc/passwd

In Unix-like operating systems, user passwords are stored in specific files, and understanding their locations is crucial for system security and user management.

1. /etc/passwd: This file contains essential information about users, such as their usernames, user IDs (UID), group IDs (GID), home directories, and default shells. It's important to note that the passwords themselves are not stored here directly in modern systems. Instead, this file usually contains an 'x' or '*' in the password field, indicating that the hashed passwords are stored in a more secure location.

2. /etc/shadow: This file is where the hashed passwords are actually stored. It is accessible only by the root user or users with appropriate permissions, making it more secure against unauthorized access. Each line in the /etc/shadow file includes the username, the hashed password, and optional fields regarding password expiration and aging.

3. /etc/password and /root/password: These paths are not standard locations for password storage in Unix-like systems. The conventional file for user information is /etc/passwd, and /etc/shadow is used for secure password storage.

In summary, the correct answer is that user passwords are primarily stored in the /etc/shadow file, which contains hashed values for increased security.