changing (resetting) users passwords as "root"

DISCUSSION Jamie Risk 2 participants 2 messages Dec 23, 2002

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Jamie Risk

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2002-12-23 20:48 UTC #0 lore raw

I'm a little confused about adding users on my linux box. The box was setup with nothing more than a root user and group.

When I add users ("useradd") I'm thwarted by the "-p" option. As "root", I don't know how to set a user's password. After I create the account (without using the useradd's "-p" option), how can set the password of the new user?

I'm prompted for the old password, which I've no idea what it is.

I'm purposefully working with a fairly minimalist Linux distribution (i.e. no clever scripts provided to help with such). By doing this is turning out to be a terrific mechanism for inflicting rudimentary Unix admin lessons on myself.

- Jamie

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Ray Olszewski

2002-12-23 21:07 UTC #1 lore raw

Quoted 3 lines · Jamie Risk

I'm a little confused about adding users on my linux box. The box was setup with nothing more than a root user and group.

When asking even general questions of this list, it helps to tell us a bit about your setup ... at least mention which Linux distro and version (e.g., Red Hat 8.0, Debian Woody, Slackware 3.5, BasicLinux) you are using. Include other pertinent info too ... though I admit it is hard for a beginner to know what is pertinent to any problem, it never *hurts* to mention the kernel version ("uname -a") you are using ... although it would not help with the problems you describe below.

Quoted 1 line

When I add users ("useradd") I'm thwarted by the "-p" option.

What do you mean by "thwarted"? What do you try to do and how does it fail?

I don't use "useradd" myself but from a quick read of the man page, it appears that you'd do something like

useradd harry -p potter

working as root, of course.

Quoted 1 line

As "root", I don't know how to set a user's password.

As root, for an existing account, you simply enter (for example) "passwd harry". root does not need to know the old password to set a new one, and you should not be prompted for the old one. If you are, you are doing something wrong (or have a *very* oddball version of Linux), so in that case, post EXACTLY what you are doing and EXACTLY how it is failing.

Quoted 6 lines

After I
create the account (without using the useradd's "-p" option), how can set the password of the new user?
I'm prompted for the old password, which I've no idea what it is.

You should be prompted for the old password ONLY if you are trying to change the current userid's own password (including changing root's password as root).

Quoted 4 lines

I'm purposefully working with a fairly minimalist Linux distribution (i.e. no clever scripts provided to help with such). By doing this is turning out to be a terrific mechanism for inflicting rudimentary Unix admin lessons on myself.

That's fine, and this list will be a good place to get help (since we all use systems that have the "minimalist" set of commands, and only some of us use each of the many "advanced" configuration tools that are, usually, associated with particular distros).

One last thing ... if you have "useradd", you may also have "adduser". It's a slightly different user-setup program that prompts you for a password at the right time, and you may find it a bit more congenial that "useradd".

--
-------------------------------------------"Never tell me the odds!"--------
Ray Olszewski -- Han Solo
Palo Alto, California, USA [email protected]
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