mkpasswd(8) [bsd man page]

MKPASSWD(8)						      System Manager's Manual						       MKPASSWD(8)

NAME

       mkpasswd - generate hashed password table

SYNOPSIS

       mkpasswd [ -p ] passwdfile

DESCRIPTION

       Mkpasswd is used to generated the hashed password database used by the password library routines (see getpwent(3)).

       The  file  passwdfile  must  be	in  password  file format (see passwd(5)).  Mkpasswd generates database files named ``passwdfile.pag'' and
       ``passwdfile.dir'' (see ndbm(3)).  Data subsequently taken from the database files differ from passwdfile  in  one  respect.   Rather  than
       storing the encrypted password in the database, mkpasswd stores the offset of the encrypted password in passwdfile.

       Mkpasswd exits zero on success, non-zero on failure.

       The -p option causes mkpasswd to create ``passwdfile.orig'', a password file in the standard Version 7 format.

SEE ALSO

       chpass(1), passwd(1), getpwent(3), ndbm(3), passwd(5), vipw(8)

4.3 Berkeley Distribution					 February 22, 1989						       MKPASSWD(8)

MKPASSWD(1)						      General Commands Manual						       MKPASSWD(1)

NAME

       mkpasswd - generate new password, optionally apply it to a user

SYNOPSIS

       mkpasswd [ args ] [ user ]

INTRODUCTION

       mkpasswd generates passwords and can apply them automatically to users.	mkpasswd is based on the code from Chapter 23 of the O'Reilly book
       "Exploring Expect".

USAGE

       With no arguments, mkpasswd returns a new password.

	    mkpasswd

       With a user name, mkpasswd assigns a new password to the user.

	    mkpasswd don

       The passwords are randomly generated according to the flags below.

FLAGS

       The -l flag defines the length of the password.	The default is 9.  The following example creates a 20 character password.

	    mkpasswd -l 20

       The -d flag defines the minimum number of digits that must be in the password.  The default is 2.  The following example creates a password
       with at least 3 digits.

	    mkpasswd -d 3

       The -c flag defines the minimum number of lowercase alphabetic characters that must be in the password.	The default is 2.

       The -C flag defines the minimum number of uppercase alphabetic characters that must be in the password.	The default is 2.

       The -s flag defines the minimum number of special characters that must be in the password.  The default is 1.

       The -p flag names a program to set the password.  By default, /etc/yppasswd is used if present, otherwise /bin/passwd is used.

       The  -2 flag causes characters to be chosen so that they alternate between right and left hands (qwerty-style), making it harder for anyone
       watching passwords being entered.  This can also make it easier for a password-guessing program.

       The -v flag causes the password-setting interaction to be visible.  By default, it is suppressed.

EXAMPLE

       The following example creates a 15-character password that contains at least 3 digits and 5 uppercase characters.

	    mkpasswd -l 15 -d 3 -C 5

SEE ALSO

       "Exploring Expect: A Tcl-Based Toolkit for Automating Interactive Programs" by Don Libes, O'Reilly and Associates, January 1995.

AUTHOR

       Don Libes, National Institute of Standards and Technology

       mkpasswd is in the public domain.  NIST and I would appreciate credit if this program or parts of it are used.

								  22 August 1994						       MKPASSWD(1)