checking passwords

I have a Red Hat 7.1 machine that seems like it is not really reading the
conserver.passwd file to check users.  I have placed my username and hash in
that passwd file, which works on my machine running conserver, but not on my
colleague's machine, set up just the same way.  It seems to bring out that
conserver is not checking the passwd file for fake usernames, since I have
no user named cheeseblintzes. =)

[root@racoon /root]# console -l eoporto pumpkin
Enter eoporto's password:
console: pumpkin: Sorry.
[root@racoon /root]# console -l cheeseblintzes host
console: console: server host not found
[root@racoon /root]# console -l cheeseblintzes pumpkin
Enter cheeseblintzes's password:
console: pumpkin: Sorry.

The log file claims it is a bad password...
tail /var/log/conserver.log
conserver: pumpkin: tamale@: bad passwd
conserver: pumpkin: someone@: bad passwd
conserver: pumpkin: cheeseblintzes@: bad passwd
conserver: pumpkin: eoporto@: bad passwd

...yet that is the hash from my /etc/shadow file.

Is there any way for conserve to set the initial password instead of doing
the cut and paste?

--
Ernest A. Oporto, Systems Administrator
Virage Logic Corporation
http://www.viragelogic.com
Perryville Corporate Park, Bldg 3, Clinton, NJ 08809
Phone:(908)735-1932   Fax:(908)735-1999
mailto:Ernie.Oporto@viragelogic.com
BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:2.1
N:Oporto;Ernie
FN:Ernie Oporto
EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:eoporto@viragelogic.com
REV:20000209T194835Z
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