shadow/man/newusers.8.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<refentry id='newusers.8'>
  <!-- $Id$ -->
  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>newusers</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
    <refmiscinfo class="sectdesc">System Management Commands</refmiscinfo>
  </refmeta>
  <refnamediv id='name'>
    <refname>newusers</refname>
    <refpurpose>update and create new users in batch</refpurpose>
  </refnamediv>
  <!-- body begins here -->
  <refsynopsisdiv id='synopsis'>
    <cmdsynopsis>
      <command>newusers</command>
      <arg choice='opt'>
	<replaceable>new_users</replaceable>
      </arg>
    </cmdsynopsis>
  </refsynopsisdiv>

  <refsect1 id='description'>
    <title>DESCRIPTION</title>
    <para>
      The <command>newusers</command> command reads a file of user name and
      clear-text password pairs and uses this information to update a group
      of existing users or to create new users. Each line is in the same format
      as the standard password file (see
      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>passwd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>) with the following exceptions:
    </para>

    <variablelist remap='IP'>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <emphasis remap='I'>pw_passwd</emphasis>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    This field will be encrypted and used as the new value of the
	    encrypted password.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <emphasis remap='I'>pw_gid</emphasis>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    This field must contain the name (or number) of a group. The user
	    will be added as a member to this group. When a non-existent
	    group name or number is specified, a new group will be created.
	    In the case of a non-existent group number, both the name and the
	    number of the new group will be this number.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <emphasis remap='I'>pw_dir</emphasis>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    This field will be checked for existence as a directory, and a
	    new directory with this name will be created if it does not
	    already exist. The ownership of the directory will be set to be
	    that of the user being created or updated.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>

    <para> 
      This command is intended to be used in a large system environment
      where many accounts are updated at a single time.
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='caveats'>
    <title>CAVEATS</title>
    <para>
      The input file must be protected since it contains unencrypted
      passwords.
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='files'>
    <title>FILES</title>
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><filename>/etc/login.defs</filename></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Shadow password suite configuration.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='see_also'>
    <title>SEE ALSO</title>
    <para>
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>login.defs</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>passwd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>useradd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
</refentry>