1)Given the following entry in the /etc/passwd file:
unknown:*:99:99:unknown
user:/var/empty:/usr/bin/false

is this user a system user?
what does the * indicate?
what is the user's home directory?
what is the user's default shell?

2)Given rcc$>ls
fileA.tet fileB.txt
rcc$>

what command would i use to combine the two files together to produce fileC.txt

Given:
rcc$>more widget
#!/bin/sh
echo"this is a text file"
rcc$>

what is the#! called?
why is it there?

please reply ASAP.thanks

This looks like school homework

it is that's why i'm asking for help >.>

lol defo homework

I'll bite and give a start....the * means the password is elsewhere...now go find out where and why

Lol,thanks you wanna help me with the others too? i'm a linux noobie still learning

Well, here's another tidbit: If you're attempting to find your user, or worse, root password, you're out of luck! Linux ain't that easy!

can you help me?lol

OK. You know what the '*' means, so next would be user's home directory. All users get a profile in the /home directory. Looking at your $> prompt tells me your directory is in /home/rcc. If you add another user, like homer, homer will have a directory in /home; and so forth. This is to keep other users files and configurations separate from each other.

The default shell is the environment used by your distro when you start a console. Usually, it is BASH. OK so far?

Thanks a lot man do you know how to install ubuntu on something that's not taking it?lol cause my dell e1505 with ati x1400 isn't taking it for some reason and i heard from some people that ubuntu doesn't like ati x1400

Well, I'm an openSuSE user, so I'm not all too familiar with the problem. However, when you say "not taking it" what exactly do you mean?

it's not installing like when i get to the install screen i can run it then it says some kind of error i don't have my laptop with me atm so i can't tell you what it says. it's basically not letting me install it...you mind helping me with the other 3 questions i had?thanks man

OK, well when you get back to your laptop, maybe an ubuntu user will have chimed in with some answers. There are many drivers for the ATI chipset out on the internet; and I'm sure there's a work-around to get things going until then.

Now. Back to the other questions.

There are myriad ways to combine text files. One easy way is to open a file editor such as Kate, and simply merge the two files together. If your bent on using the console, not that that is a bad thing, then you can concatenate the files as lists; or use the merge command to combine two files into one. When you get to a linux box open a console and type "man merge" <enter>. That will instruct you how to do this. One thing, in UNIX based systems, which Linux is, you can find out the syntax of any command by typing "man <command>" <enter>. Man, here, is short for MANUAL. In other words, something you read when you don't know the answer; like how to operate your new cell phone. READ THE MANUAL.

Next question: What is the #! called? It's called a prompt. It is coming from BASH. No different than any other console prompt. It just announces who it is.

Why is it there? Because, I said so. Oh alright, look at the explanation above.

According to the LQ rules you aren't suppposed to post homework questions, so be prepared for a mod to close this thread

thanks a lot man yeah hopefully someone will post something about my dell problem.

I thought I was helping someone. I was under the assumption that was what LQ was about. Sorry. Won't happen again. Ever.