FR & Unix pws

I am using FreeRADIUS v1.0.5 in a non-production lab environment. I am using the group and passwd files for RADIUS authentication. I'm not using the standard ones, but copies that I have created just for FreeRADIUS and stored in another directory (so it doesn't interfere with regular systems administration). What hashing algorithm is used to store passwords in passwd? Does FreeRADIUS have an option to read passwords in clear text? Is there an easy way to create hashed passwords from some Unix command-line utility? Thanks for your time! 4 out of 10 women surveyed think Alan DeKok is a sex magnet.