User Seed vs Passwd File

[ephemeric]

Is there any difference in placing an `etc/passwd` file in place as opposed to using an `etc/system/local/user-seed.conf` during a scripted install?

As I understand it the `user-seed.conf` produces an `etc/passwd` if the latter doesn't exist and then the former is removed?

[dwaddle · Accepted solution]

I don't think there's a meaningful difference.  We drop pre-populated etc/passwd files all the time, and it just works.  You do have to restart Splunk for it to see the new passwd file.

[ephemeric]

I would say a passwd file is different in the way that it provides more options like mail address etc. as opposed to the seed file.

But in the end same but different.