UPDATE-PASSWD(8) System Manager's Manual UPDATE-PASSWD(8)
NAME
update-passwd - safely update /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow and /etc/group
SYNOPSIS
update-passwd [options]
DESCRIPTION
update-passwd handles updates of /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow and /etc/group on running Debian
systems. It compares the current files to master copies, distributed in the base-passwd
package, and updates all entries in the global system range (that is, 0-99). It leaves
backup copies of the previous versions of modified files with the extension '.org' (for
"original").
OPTIONS
update-passwd follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with
two dashes ('-').
-p, --passwd-master=FILE
Use FILE as the master copy of the passwd database. The default value is
/usr/share/base-passwd/passwd.master.
-g, --group-master=FILE
Use FILE as the master copy of the group database. The default value is
/usr/share/base-passwd/group.master.
-P, --passwd=FILE
Use FILE as the system passwd database. The default value is /etc/passwd.
-S, --shadow=FILE
Use FILE as the system shadow database. The default value is /etc/shadow.
-G, --group=FILE
Use FILE as the system group database. The default value is /etc/group.
-s, --sanity-check
Only perform sanity-checks but don't do anything.
-v, --verbose
Give detailed information about what we are doing. A second -v gives additional
detail.
-n, --dry-run
Don't do anything but only show what we would do.
-L, --no-locking
Don't attempt to lock the account database. This should only be used for debugging
purposes. I repeat: do not do this unless you are really sure you need this!
-h, --help
Show a summary of how to use update-passwd.
-V, --version
Show the version number
ENVIRONMENT
DEBIAN_HAS_FRONTEND
If this environment variable is set and the --dry-run flag was not given, up-
date-passwd uses debconf to prompt for whether to make changes. Each proposed
change will produce a separate prompt. User or group removals, UID or GID changes,
and home directory changes will be asked with high priority. User or group addi-
tions and shell changes will be asked with medium priority. Questions about
whether to move entries above the NIS compat inclusion entry or whether to change
the GECOS of a user are asked at low priority.
BUGS
At this moment update-passwd does not verify the shadow-file. It should check if the en-
tries in the passwd are also in shadow and vice versa, and that passwords are not present
in both files.
AUTHOR
Wichert Akkerman <wakkerma AT debian.org>
This program was written for the Debian project, and is copyright 1999-2002 Wichert Akker-
man and copyright 2002, 2003 Colin Watson. It is distributed under version 2 of the GNU
General Public License.
DEBIAN Debian tools UPDATE-PASSWD(8)
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