06-30-2009
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kwliew999
[...]by running the command pwdadm -c user, the ADMCHG flags will be removed from /etc/security/passwd file. But in the first place, why it doesn't remove the flags after root id has changed the password? Why we need to run this command of pwdadm -c to remove the flag ADMCHG manually?[...]
This is less a question of whether it would be technically possible but more a question of privacy. Depending on where you where brought up this might not be so obvious but where I live users prefer root not knowing their personal passwords. So while root can get around this little hurdle by removing the ADMCHG flag it is not the default. It has to be done intentionally which makes a difference from the legal perspective.
The ADMCHG flag is set if root changes another user's password. If that user changes his/her password (at first login) the ADMCHG flag is removed and the password is valid until it expires for some defined reason.
If you don't want a password to expire after a defined time set the maxage parameter to "0" in the user's settings. However, keeping a password forever is considered a security risk in certain environments.
From a mere technical point of view you could write a script to change password and run pwdadm in one step though.
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LEARN ABOUT OSF1
yppasswd
yppasswd(1) General Commands Manual yppasswd(1)
NAME
yppasswd - change password in Network Information Service (NIS)
SYNOPSIS
yppasswd [name]
DESCRIPTION
Note
If Enhanced Security is enabled on your system, use the passwd command to change your password, even if NIS is in use.
The yppasswd command lets you change your password in the Network Information Service (NIS) map, a network data base service. Only you or
the superuser can change your NIS password.
When you enter the yppasswd command, the program prompts you for the old password and then for the new password. Note that the passwords
are not displayed on the screen.
Next, the program asks you for the new password again, to verify that you have typed it correctly. If you do not type the passwords cor-
rectly, you will receive an error message after you enter the new password.
Your new NIS password must meet one of the following requirements: It must be a combination of at least six alphanumeric characters, or It
must be a minimum of four characters, with at least one being non-alphanumeric, such as a control sequence.
Note
The passwd command does not change the NIS password. This command only changes the local password file (/etc/passwd), and not the NIS mas-
ter password file.
ERRORS
Your new password does not meet the minimum length requirement. You misspelled your new password or its verification. Your new password
can not be activated. It must be different from your old password and your login name.
FILES
Password file NIS directory
SEE ALSO
passwd(1), passwd(4), ypfiles(4), yppasswdd(8)
Network Administration
yppasswd(1)