@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
                             to_bin_sha
                         )
 
+# Import the user database on unix based systems
+if os.name == "posix":
+    import pwd
+    
 __all__ = ( "stream_copy", "join_path", "to_native_path_windows", "to_native_path_linux", 
             "join_path_native", "Stats", "IndexFileSHA1Writer", "Iterable", "IterableList", 
             "BlockingLockFile", "LockFile", 'Actor', 'get_user_id', 'assure_directory_exists',
@@ -113,12 +117,17 @@ def assure_directory_exists(path, is_file=False):
 
 def get_user_id():
     """:return: string identifying the currently active system user as name@node
-    :note: user can be set with the 'USER' environment variable, usually set on windows"""
-    ukn = 'UNKNOWN'
-    username = os.environ.get('USER', os.environ.get('USERNAME', ukn))
-    if username == ukn and hasattr(os, 'getlogin'):
-        username = os.getlogin()
-    # END get username from login
+    :note: user can be set with the 'USER' environment variable, usually set on windows
+    :note: on unix based systems you can use the password database
+    to get the login name of the effective process user"""
+    if os.name == "posix":
+        username = pwd.getpwuid(os.geteuid()).pw_name
+    else:
+        ukn = 'UNKNOWN'
+        username = os.environ.get('USER', os.environ.get('USERNAME', ukn))
+        if username == ukn and hasattr(os, 'getlogin'):
+            username = os.getlogin()
+        # END get username from login
     return "%s@%s" % (username, platform.node())
 
 #} END utilities