.
1. NAME▲
update-passwd - safely update /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow and /etc/group
2. SYNOPSIS ▲
update-passwd [ options ]
3. 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(en99).
4. OPTIONS ▲
update-passwd follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes ((oq-(cq).
R -p , --passwd-master=FILE
Use FILE as the master copy of the passwd database. The default value is /usr/share/base-passwd/passwd.master .
R -g , --group-master=FILE
Use FILE as the master copy of the group database. The default value is /usr/share/base-passwd/group.master .
R -P , --passwd=FILE
Use FILE as the system passwd database. The default value is /etc/passwd .
R -S , --shadow=FILE
Use FILE as the system shadow database. The default value is /etc/shadow .
R -G , --group=FILE
Use FILE as the system group database. The default value is /etc/group .
R -s , --sanity-check
Only perform sanity-checks but don't do anything.
R -v , --verbose
Give detailed information about we are doing. A second -v gives additional detail.
R -n , --dry-run
Don't do anything but only show what we would do.
R -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!
R -h , --help
Show a summary of how to use
R update-passwd .
R -V , --version
Show the version number
5. 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.
6. AUTHOR ▲
Wichert Akkerman <>
This program was written for the Debian project, and is copyright 1999(en2002 Wichert Akkerman and copyright 2002, 2003 Colin Watson. It is distributed under version 2 of the GNU General Public License.
