> >I imagine noone will have an answer except maybe Ann.
>
> Actually, Paul Beach may be in a better position to answer this
> one. The whole isc4.gdb thing was after my time, so I take
> no responsibility for server-wide logins, eight byte passwords
> or the other problem. Probably I should ...

From old notes:

The /usr/interbase/isc4.gdb security database is a V4.0 enhancement of the
V3.3 /usr/interbase/isc.gdb.
isc4.gdb stores user names and passwords that authenticate users who try to
connect to the database.
A user can connect to a database managed by the server only if he or she has
an entry in the isc4.gdb security database.
As a special case, a UNIX user id may be substituted for an entry in the
isc4.gdb.

i.e. isc4.gdb came into being in InterBase 4.0, and was created mainly for
PC clients.... which
had no "security" mechanisms available to test who was logging onto a
server.

I think Alan has the right answer, but I can't remember the detail, masterke
works - and thats all thats being checked, any characters after 8 are
ignored.
I suspect that masterkey was dreamed up as the SYSDBA password after the
code implementation.... hence the "misfit".

Regards
Paul