password and useradd

lecholet · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2002 7:22 pm Post subject: password and useradd

This is probably a lame question. I cant figure out why i have to supply useradd with an encrypted password. I was using slackware before and i swear i could supply an UNencrypted password to this command (useradd encrypted it for me).

Now my question is how can i crypt a password so i can finaly add users in my system.

regards,
lecholet

rizzo · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2002 7:23 pm Post subject:

Not sure what you are talking about. I don't have to encrypt passwords when I call useradd.

What flags are you passing into useradd when you call it?

lecholet · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2002 7:27 pm Post subject:

This is weird. in the man page of useadd, it says:

-p passwd:

The encrypted password, as returned by crypt(3). The default is to disable the account.

I tried with an unencrypted password anyway, and it didnt work (i tried -p abcdefg and i look at /etc/shadow and abcdefg was written in the passwd field.)

rizzo · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2002 7:32 pm Post subject:

I never pass the password in on the command-line, just because then it's visible on the screen (cubicle walls do not a prison make). I create the account specifying home dir and shell and group and whatever else. Then call passwd on that account to set the password.

I realize you're probably used to doing it all on the command line but this is just what I do and my recommendation. And I know it works.

rac · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2002 7:33 pm Post subject:

How about just creating the user and using passwd to change the password afterwards?
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lecholet · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2002 7:46 pm Post subject:

ok, it works the way you told me. But i still cant figure out why we cant do it in one command line... oh well

regards
lecholet

rac · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2002 7:58 pm Post subject: