It looks like you've gotten some help, but no one told you that you don't need to open /etc/passwd, read each line, and split like that...

Something like this would do it:

$USERS{ $pwent[ 0 ] } = $pwent[ 4 ] while @pwent = getpwent();
[download]

perldoc -f getpwent

Update: Sigh. Zaxo beat me to it by a couple of minutes.

-sauoq
"My two cents aren't worth a dime.";