shadow/man/chage.1

.\"$Id: chage.1,v 1.24 2005/04/25 15:15:17 kloczek Exp $
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.TH CHAGE 1
.SH NAME
chage \- change user password expiry information
.SH SYNOPSIS
.TP 6
\fBchage\fR [\fB\-m\fR \fImindays\fR] [\fB\-M\fR \fImaxdays\fR] [\fB\-d\fR \fIlastday\fR] [\fB\-I\fR \fIinactive\fR]
[\fB\-E\fR \fIexpiredate\fR] [\fB\-W\fR \fIwarndays\fR] \fIuser\fR
.TP 6
\fBchage\fR \fB\-l\fR \fIuser\fR
.SH DESCRIPTION
\fBchage\fR command changes the number of days between password changes and
the date of the last password change. This information is used by the system
to determine when a user must change her password.
.PP
The \fBchage\fR command is restricted to the root user, except for the
\fB\-l\fR option, which may be used by an unprivileged user to determine
when her password or account is due to expire.
.SH OPTIONS
The options which apply to the \fBchage\fR command are:
.IP "\fB\-d\fR \fIlastday\fR"
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).
.IP "\fB\-E\fR \fIexpiredate\fR"
Set the date on which the user's account will no longer be accessible. The
\fIexpiredate\fR 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 \fI-1\fR as the \fIexpiredate\fR will
remove an accounts expiration date.
.IP "\fB\-I\fR \fIinactive\fR"
Set the number of days of inactivity after a password has expired before the
account is locked. The \fIinactive\fR 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.
.IP "\fB\-m\fR \fImindays\fR"
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.
.IP "\fB\-M\fR \fImaxdays\fR"
Set maximum number of days during which a password is valid. When
\fImaxdays\fR plus fIlastday\fR 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 \fB\-W\fR option,
which provides the user with advance warning.
.IP "\fB\-W\fR \fIwarndays\fR"
Set the number of days of warning before a password change is required. The
\fIwarndays\fR option is the number of days prior to the password expiring
that a user will be warned her password is about to expire.
.PP
If none of the options are selected, \fBchage\fR 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 \fB[ ]\fR
marks.
.SH NOTE
The \fBchage\fR program requires shadow password file to be available.
Its functionality is not available when passwords are stored in the 
passwd file.
.SH FILES
\fI/etc/passwd\fR	\- user account information
.br
\fI/etc/shadow\fR	\- secure user account information
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR passwd (5),
.BR shadow (5)
.SH AUTHOR
Julianne Frances Haugh <jockgrrl@ix.netcom.com>