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<refentry id='chage.1'>
  <!--  $Id: chage.1.xml,v 1.10 2005/06/15 12:39:27 kloczek Exp $  -->
  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>chage</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
    <refmiscinfo class="sectdesc">User Commands</refmiscinfo>
  </refmeta>
  <refnamediv id='name'>
    <refname>chage</refname>
    <refpurpose>change user password expiry information</refpurpose>
  </refnamediv>
  <refsynopsisdiv id='synopsis'>
    <cmdsynopsis>
      <command>chage</command>
      <arg choice='opt'>
	<replaceable>options</replaceable>
      </arg>
      <arg choice='plain'><replaceable>user</replaceable></arg>
    </cmdsynopsis>
  </refsynopsisdiv>
  
  <refsect1 id='description'>
    <title>DESCRIPTION</title>
    <para><command>chage</command> command changes the number of days
      between passwordchanges and the date of the last password change. 
      This information is used by the system to determine when a user must
      change her password.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1 id='options'>
    <title>OPTIONS</title>
    <para>
      The options which apply to the <command>chage</command> command are:
    </para>
    <variablelist remap='IP'>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <option>-d</option>, <option>--lastday</option> <replaceable>LAST_DAY</replaceable>
        </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set the number of days since January 1st, 1970 when the password
            was last changed. The date may also be expressed in the format
            YYYY-MM-DD (or the format more commonly used in your area).
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <option>-E</option>, <option>--expiredate</option> <replaceable>EXPIRE_DATE</replaceable>
        </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>Set the date on which the user's account will no longer be
            accessible. The <emphasis remap='I'>EXPIRE_DATE</emphasis> option
            is the number of days since January 1, 1970 on which the
            accounted is locked. The date may also be expressed in the
            format YYYY-MM-DD (or the format more commonly used in your
            area). A user whose account is locked must contact the system
            administrator before being able to use the system again. Passing
            the number <emphasis remap='I'>-1</emphasis> as the <emphasis
            remap='I'>EXPIRE_DATE</emphasis> will remove an accounts
            expiration date.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <option>-I</option>, <option>--inactive</option> <replaceable>INACTIVE</replaceable>
        </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set the number of days of inactivity after a password has
            expired before the account is locked. The <emphasis
            remap='I'>INACTIVE</emphasis> option is the number of days of
            inactivity. A value of 0 disables this feature. A user whose
            account is locked must contact the system administrator before
            being able to use the system again.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <option>-l</option>, <option>--list</option>
        </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
	  Show account aging information.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <option>-m</option>, <option>--mindays</option> <replaceable>MIN_DAYS</replaceable>
        </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set the minimum number of days between password changes. A value
            of zero for this field indicates that the user may change her
            password at any time.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <option>-M</option>, <option>--maxdays</option> <replaceable>MAX_DAYS</replaceable>
        </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set maximum number of days during which a password is valid.
            When <emphasis remap='I'>MAX_DAYS</emphasis> plus <emphasis
            remap='I'>LAST_DAY</emphasis> is less than the current day, the
            user will be required to change her password before being able
            to use her account. This occurrence can be planned for in
            advance by use of the <option>-W</option> option, which provides
            the user with advance warning.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <option>-W</option>, <option>warndays</option> <replaceable>WARN_DAYS</replaceable>
        </term>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Set the number of days of warning before a password change is
            required. The <emphasis remap='I'>WARN_DAYS</emphasis> option is
            the number of days prior to the password expiring that a user
            will be warned her password is about to expire.
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
    <para>
      If none of the options are selected, <command>chage</command> operates
      in an interactive fashion, prompting the user with the current values
      for all of the fields. Enter the new value to change the field, or
      leave the line blank to use the current value. The current value is
      displayed between a pair of <emphasis remap='B'>[ ]</emphasis> marks.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
  <refsect1 id='note'>
    <title>NOTE</title>
    <para>
      The <command>chage</command> program requires shadow password file to
      be available. Its functionality is not available when passwords are
      stored in the passwd file.
    </para>
    <para>The <command>chage</command> command is restricted to the root
      user, except for the <option>-l</option> option, which may be used by
      an unprivileged user to determine when her password or account is due
      to expire.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1 id='files'>
    <title>FILES</title>
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <filename>/etc/passwd</filename>
        </term>
        <listitem>user account information</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>
          <filename>/etc/shadow</filename>
        </term>
        <listitem>secure user account information</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
    
  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1 id='see_also'>
    <title>SEE ALSO</title>
    <para><citerefentry>
        <refentrytitle>passwd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
        <refentrytitle>shadow</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
  
  <refsect1 id='author'>
    <title>AUTHOR</title>
    <para>Julianne Frances Haugh &lt;jockgrrl@ix.netcom.com&gt;</para>
  </refsect1>
</refentry>
