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).

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  sent 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.