Click on any of the 687 commands below to get a description and list of available options. All links in the command summaries point to the online version of the book on Safari Bookshelf.
Create or change a password associated with a user name. Only the owner or a privileged user may change a password. Owners need not specify their user name. Users can change their own passwords. For any other operation, you must be root.
Options
-d, --delete
Delete the password for the user's account.
-f, --force
Force the operation. Overrides -u.
-?, --help
Display a help message describing the options. See also --usage.
-idays, --inactive=days
Set the number of days after a password has expired before the account is disabled.
-k, --keep-tokens
Keep passwords (authentication tokens) that have not expired.
-l, --lock
Lock the user's account.
-ndays, --minimum=days
Set the minimum number of days that the password is valid.
-S, --status
Print the status of the user's password.
--stdin
Read new passwords from standard input.
-u, --unlock
Unlock the user's account
--usage
Display a brief usage message. See also --help.
-wdays, --warning=days
Set the number of days of warning users will get before their password expires.
-xdays, --maximum=days
Set the maximum number of days that the password is valid.