In any linux system I have access to (a couple of Archlinuxes, an Ubuntu, a Debian Sid and a Gentoo) there are the following 4 files in /etc/, all ending with a dash:
/etc/group- /etc/gshadow- /etc/passwd- /etc/shadow-
On the internet they say that these are just backup files, updated to the next to last change.
Now I’m wondering: who’s creating those files? Is it my editor? Is it the application editing those files (gpasswd, useradd, groupadd and so on)? Is it something at a lower level (maybe even a kernel module)?
Answers:
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Method 1
The backup files are created by the program that modifies your /etc/group or /etc/passwd files like useradd, groupadd and the like created as a safety precaution in case files get corrupted during edit. Kernel never touches those files.
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