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Can I change the password for my Unix account?
1.
You can change the password for your Unix account.
This document describes the
steps to change the UNIX server-account password. The server-account
password is not the same password as the Admin Access Password, even if you
set them to the same value at one point in time. And it is not a Web Directory
Password, which you may also create. The server-account password gives
access to the UNIX machine-account where all web pages are stored and this password gives
you access to FTP transfers. The Admin Access Password is used
to gain access to information about your account and manage email mailboxes. A Web Directory
Password protects a directory of files on your website so they are only seen by persons
who have the password.
Copyright 1998,1999
Palaver Group, a division of Airaghi Group, Inc.
STEP 1.
Using
ssh (secure shell), login to the server account, using the current UNIX server-account
password
How to
change the current UNIX server-account password
Last
login: Thu Sep 3 10:46:18 from 208.16.129.74
Copyright (c) 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
FreeBSD 2.2.2-RELEASE (VCIP) #0: Thu Jun 19 16:46:37 EDT 1997
(sample response)
STEP 2.
Use
the passwd command to add or change UNIX account password
$
passwd
[Enter-key]
Changing
local password for myaccount
Old password:
(type
CURRENT password) [Enter-key]
New
password:
(type
NEW password) [Enter-key] Please
don't use an all-lower case password. Use of UnUsUal capitalization, numbers/digits,
periods, and dash are suggested.
STOP!
Before continuing, write the password you just
typed down on a piece of paper. Before you confirm the new password in the
next response, be sure you see and reinforce that you are sure of the value
you want to use. Upper and lowercase makes a big difference -- you can use
numbers, the normal alphabet in upper or lowercase, the period, dash and
underscore symbols. Blank or spaces are not recommended. If you forget
this new password there is no way to undo or repair the mistake.
The
password is encrypted and never stored in a readable format.
BE CAREFUL. If you lose this password, you will not be able to login
ever again to the UNIX server account on the server (nor
access via FTP), until a system administrator assigns a new temporary
password to the account (usually for a fee). After a temporary password
is assigned, you should go through these steps again to assign your personal
choice for a password.
Retype
new password:
(type
new password again) [Enter-key] BEFORE
you hit the ENTER-Key remember to write this new password down for future
use.
They
don't match, sorry.
Oops,
if you get this, the password was NOT changed. Try doing this step again.
passwd:
rebuilding the database...
passwd: done
$
Note:
the password change, when successful, always destroys the previous password.
You cannot "undo" or "restore" the previous password.
DID
YOU? Did
you write the password down or stored it in a safe place? Even
if your are just experimenting with this procedure, when your change a
password, write
it down
and put it in an envelop and seal the envelop. If you put this off
for even a few minutes, your memory may be distracted and the account
will not be accessible with an unknown password (distracted by phone call,
colleague, boss, spouse, child, etc.). There may be a support charge by
the UNIX system administrator to reset an account master-password.
STEP 3.
Logoff
and close the ssh connection.
$
exit
[Enter-key]
Note that the next time
you log onto the UNIX server-account you will have to use the new password
that you just entered using the passwd command.
