*BSD News Article 53431


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From: sly@penelope.frmug.fr.net (Sylvain Nierveze)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: how do I modify passwd entries?
Date: 19 Oct 1995 21:32:35 -0000
Organization: Penelope Corp.
Lines: 21
Message-ID: <466g5j$13o@penelope.frmug.fr.net>
References: <4616mf$2ub@shellx.best.com>
Reply-To: sly@penelope.frmug.fr.net
NNTP-Posting-Host: penelope.frmug.fr.net
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]

David Paigen (paigen@shellx.best.com) wrote:

: I know that I should use adduser rather than modify
: /etc/passwd, etc. files by hand.  I assume that this
: has to do with the shadow password file.

yes ... you have to use the 'vipw' command (in 2.0.5R) 
to modify /etc/passwd 'by hand'

: But what do I do about old user accounts that need to
: be changed?  I need to change the login directory of
: one user.  Can I do this by hand?

use the chpass command (the chpass can also be used
by a non-priviledged user to change his GCOS field and
his login shell, like the chsh and chfn commands
on some other systems...). 
-- 

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 Sylvain Nierveze (sly@penelope.frmug.fr.net)