# phpman > man > update-passwd(8)

[UPDATE-PASSWD(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/UPDATE-PASSWD/8/markdown)                       System Manager's Manual                      [UPDATE-PASSWD(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/UPDATE-PASSWD/8/markdown)



## 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  de‐
              tail.

### -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 additions 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 entries
       in  the  passwd are also in shadow and vice versa, and that passwords are not present in both
       files.

## AUTHOR
       Wichert Akkerman <<wakkerma@debian.org>>

       This program was written for the Debian project, and is copyright 1999–2002 Wichert  Akkerman
       and  copyright 2002, 2003 Colin Watson.  It is distributed under version 2 of the GNU General
       Public License.



DEBIAN                                      Debian tools                            [UPDATE-PASSWD(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/UPDATE-PASSWD/8/markdown)