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<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.3//EN"
                   "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.3/docbookx.dtd">
<refentry id='chpasswd.8'>
  <!-- $Id: chpasswd.8.xml,v 1.8 2005/06/16 15:42:19 kloczek Exp $ -->
  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>chpasswd</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
  </refmeta>
  <refnamediv id='name'>
    <refname>chpasswd</refname>
    <refpurpose>update passwords in batch mode</refpurpose>
  </refnamediv>

  <refsynopsisdiv id='synopsis'>
    <cmdsynopsis>
      <command>chpasswd</command>
      <arg choice='opt'>
        <replaceable>options</replaceable>
      </arg>
    </cmdsynopsis>
  </refsynopsisdiv>
  
  <refsect1 id='description'>
    <title>DESCRIPTION</title>
    <para><command>chpasswd</command> reads a list of user name and password
      pairs from standard input and uses this information to update a group
      of existing users. Each line is of the format:
    </para>
    <para>
      <emphasis remap='I'>user_name</emphasis>:<emphasis
      remap='I'>password</emphasis>
    </para>
    <para>By default the supplied password must be in clear-text. Default
      encription algoritm is DES. Also the password age will be updated, if
      present.
    </para>
    <para>This command is intended to be used in a large system environment
      where many accounts are created at a single time.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1 id='options'>
    <title>OPTIONS</title>
    <para>
      The options which apply to the <command>chpasswd</command> command
      are:
    </para>
    <variablelist remap='IP'>
      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>-e</option>, <option>--encrypted</option></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Supplied passwords are in encrypted form.</para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>-h</option>, <option>--help</option></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Display help message and exit.</para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>-m</option>, <option>--md5</option></term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Use MD5 encryption instead DES when the supplied passwords
            are not encrypted.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1 id='caveats'>
    <title>CAVEATS</title>
    <para>Remember keep protected for reading by others fille passed to
      standard input <command>chpasswd</command> command if it contains
      unencrypted passwords.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1 id='see_also'>
    <title>SEE ALSO</title>
    <para><citerefentry>
        <refentrytitle>passwd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
        <refentrytitle>newusers</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
        <refentrytitle>useradd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>
    </para>
  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1 id='author'>
    <title>AUTHOR</title>
    <para>Julianne Frances Haugh (jockgrrl@ix.netcom.com)</para>
  </refsect1>
</refentry>
