Previous Solaris software releases used 32-bit data types to contain the user IDs (UIDs) and group IDs (GIDs), but UIDs and GIDs were constrained to a maximum useful value of 60000. Starting with the Solaris 2.5.1 release and compatible versions, the limit on UID and GID values has been raised to the maximum value of a signed integer, or 2147483647.
UIDs and GIDs over 60000 do not have full functionality and are incompatible with many Solaris features, so avoid using UIDs or GIDs over 60000. See Table 1-2 for a complete list of interoperability issues with Solaris products and commands.
Table 1-2 describes interoperability issues with previous Solaris and Solaris product releases.
Table 1-2 Interoperability Issues for UIDs/GIDs Over 60000
Category |
Product/Command |
Issues/Cautions |
---|---|---|
NFSTM Interoperability |
SunOS 4.0 NFS software and compatible versions |
NFS server and client code truncates large UIDs and GIDs to 16 bits. This can create security problems if SunOS 4.0 and compatible machines are used in an environment where large UIDs and GIDs are being used. SunOS 4.0 and compatible systems require a patch. |
Name Service Interoperability |
NIS name service File-based name service |
Users with UIDs above 60000 can log in or use the su command on systems running the Solaris 2.5 and compatible versions, but their UIDs and GIDs will be set to 60001 (nobody). |
|
NIS+ name service |
Users with UIDs above 60000 are denied access on systems running Solaris 2.5 and compatible versions and the NIS+ name service. |
Printed UIDs/GIDs |
OpenWindows File Manager |
Large UIDs and GIDs will not display correctly if the OpenWindowsTM File Manager is used with the extended file listing display option. |
Table 1-3 Large UID/GID Limitation Summary