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,  update-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)