[ILUG] numeric user names

[PhilipQuinlan]

Pádraig Brady wrote:
> Does anyone know of existing systems that use numeric usernames?
>
>   
Mobile phone companies all over the world that use Linux as a messaging 
platform.
> There is a proposal to change `chown 1234 file` in coreutils
> to not look for a user name 1234 first, and just assume one means
> the user id 1234.
>   
Could be hacked around setting the numeric uid to the user's no or 
username="no0882222222".

However most simply allow the user to set an alias today and this will 
make life more difficult (in a minor way) for them.
> This would break systems where numeric usernames are used.
>
>   
This seems like a Bad Idea ™
> In DCU at least I remember we had 8 digit usernames.
> Is that still the case?
>
> Pádraig.
>   
Just my thoughts, Philip