pwconv(ADM)

pwconv, pwunconv -- install and update or remove the shadow password file

Syntax

/etc/pwconv

/etc/pwunconv

Description

The pwconv command creates and updates /etc/shadow with information from the Protected Password database and /etc/passwd. The command populates /etc/shadow with the user's login name, password, and password aging information.

pwconv creates an entry in /etc/shadow for every user in /etc/passwd. The password and password aging information are read from the Protected Password database and /etc/passwd and stored along with the username in /etc/shadow. The password and password aging information in /etc/passwd are replaced with the letter ``x''. Any existing entries in /etc/shadow without a corresponding entry in /etc/passwd are removed.

The pwunconv command is the reverse of pwconv. The password and password aging information held in /etc/shadow are written back to /etc/passwd and to the Protected Password database. /etc/shadow is then removed.

Lines in /etc/passwd containing Network Information Service (NIS) escape sequences remain unmodified during conversion by pwconv and pwunconv.

Exit values

The pwconv and pwunconv commands exit with one of the following values:

0: Success.
1: Not allowed to run this command.
2: Invalid command syntax.
3: Unexpected failure, conversion not done.
4: Unexpected failure, password file(s) missing.
5: Password file(s) busy, try again later.
6: pwunconv failed as /etc/shadow does not exist.
7: A password file entry created would be too long.

An exit status greater than zero is accompanied by an error message describing the problem. If the message is ``error reading entry for username'', run authck -p to fix the problem and try again. If the message is ``unable to restore previous password file'' the password file has been renamed to /etc/passwd-o and should be renamed back to /etc/passwd. A similar message is output for the shadow password file, /etc/shadow-o should be renamed /etc/shadow.

Authorization

pwconv and pwunconv require the invoking user to be the super user or have the auth subsystem authorization, and have both the chown and execsuid kernel privileges.

Files