User Commands npasswd(1)
NAME
npasswd - change login password, shell or finger information
SYNOPSIS
npasswd [ platform options ] [ -X options ] [ username ]
chfn [ platform options ] [ -X options ] [ username ]
chsh [ platform options ] [ -X options ] [ username ]
DESCRIPTION
Npasswd changes the login password, login shell or finger
information for a user. It is designed to supplement or
replace the standard password change programs passwd, chfn
and chsh.
Npasswd addresses some common deficiencies of standard pass-
word change programs. It supports local passwd (and shadow)
files, NIS maps, and enhanced security shadow databases for
HP-UX and Digital Unix (aka OSF/1).
New passwords are subjected to a series of stringent guessa-
bility checks to decrease the chance of users choosing
vulnerable passwords.
When called as "chfn", npasswd changes the finger informa-
tion associated with your user name or the specified user
name.
When called as "chsh", npasswd changes the login shell of
your user name or the specified user name.
Only the super-user can change the password, finger informa-
tion or shell of another user.
OPTIONS
Every version of passwd supports a different set of command
line options. Npasswd supports a subset of these for a few
platforms. It attempts to recognize the other vendor-
specific options and defer to the vendor-supplied program to
handle them. This list may be incomplete.
PLATFORM OPTIONS - SunOS 4
The following options are implemented:
-d -e -n -x
The following options are deferred to the vendor programs:
-a
The following options are ignored:
-F -l -y
PLATFORM OPTIONS - Solaris 2
SunOS 5.6 Last change: 1
User Commands npasswd(1)
The following options are implemented:
-e -g
The following options are deferred to the vendor programs:
-a -d -h -l -n -w -r -s -x
The following options are ignored:
-D
PLATFORM OPTIONS - HPUX
The following options are implemented:
-d -e -n -x
PLATFORM OPTIONS - Digital UNIX
The following options are implemented:
-f -s
PLATFORM OPTIONS - AIX
The following options are implemented:
-f -s
OPTIONS FOR ALL PLATFORMS
-Xc Process the configuration file, output the set-
tings and exit.
-XCcf Verify the correctness of the configuration file
cf. Exit status is 0 if file was ok, 1 if not.
-XDN Set internal debugging level to N. This option
may be restricted to root.
Debug levels are:
none None.
verbose
Mild verbosity.
lookup
Trace user lookup.
update
Trace user updating.
config
Trace configuration file processing.
misc1
Reserved.
misc2
Reserved.
SunOS 5.6 Last change: 2
User Commands npasswd(1)
pwcheck
Trace password checking.
detail
More detailed tracing.
all Turn on all debugging.
-XF Suppress new password checking. This option is
restricted to root and should be used very spar-
ingly.
-Xf Change finger information.
-XI Read passwords from standard input versus using
/dev/tty. This option is restricted to root.
-Xs Change login shell.
-XV Print version and patch level information.
FILES
/npasswd - The executable
/passwd.conf - Configuration file
- Default dictionary collection
- Default password history database
SEE ALSO
/history_admin - password history administra-
tion utility
/index.html - Npasswd Reference Manual (HTML
format)
DIAGNOSTICS
Many and hopefully fairly self-explanatory.
BUGS
A substantial section of the password check code is very
specific to English.
No attempt has been made to internationalized the program.
Some platforms (e.g. Sun, Digital Unix) have elaborate secu-
rity facilities. Few of these are used by npasswd, mostly
because the APIs are not documented.
For historical reasons, there is support for two obsolete
operating systems - SunOS 4 and Ultrix 4. This code will
removed from any future revisions.
AUTHOR
Clyde Hoover
SunOS 5.6 Last change: 3
User Commands npasswd(1)
Academic Computing Services and Instructional Technology
Services
The University of Texas at Austin
c.hoover@cc.utexas.edu
8c9 1998, The University of Texas at Austin. All rights
reserved.
SunOS 5.6 Last change: 4