PWD_MKDB(8) BSD System Manager's Manual PWD_MKDB(8)
NAME
pwd_mkdb -- generate the password databases
SYNOPSIS
pwd_mkdb [-c] [-p | -s] [-d directory] [-u username] file
DESCRIPTION
pwd_mkdb creates db(3) style secure and insecure databases for the specified file. These databases are
then installed into /etc/spwd.db and /etc/pwd.db, respectively. The file is installed into
/etc/master.passwd. The file must be in the correct format (see passwd(5)). It is important to note
that the format used in this system is different from the historic Version 7 style format.
The options are as follows:
-c Check if the password file is in the correct format. Do not change, add, or remove any files.
-d directory
Operate in a base directory other than the default of /etc. All absolute paths (including
file) will be made relative to directory. Any directories specified as a part of file will be
stripped off. This option is used to create password databases in directories other than etc;
for instance in a chroot(8) jail.
-p Create a Version 7 style password file and install it into /etc/passwd.
-s Only update the secure version of the database. This is most commonly used in conjunction with
the -u flag during a password change. Because the insecure database doesn't contain the pass-word password
word there is no reason to update it if the only change is in the password field. Cannot be
used in conjunction with the -p flag.
-u username
Only update the record for the specified user. Utilities that operate on a single user can use
this option to avoid the overhead of rebuilding the entire database. This option must never be
used if the line number of the user's record in /etc/master.passwd has changed.
file The absolute path to a file in master.passwd format, as described in passwd(5).
The two databases differ in that the secure version contains the user's encrypted password and the
insecure version has an asterisk (`*').
The databases are used by the C library password routines (see getpwent(3)).
pwd_mkdb exits zero on success, non-zero on failure.
FILES
/etc/master.passwd current password file
/etc/passwd a Version 7 format password file
/etc/pwd.db insecure password database file
/etc/pwd.db.tmp temporary file
/etc/spwd.db secure password database file
/etc/spwd.db.tmp temporary file
SEE ALSO
chpass(1), passwd(1), db(3), getpwent(3), passwd(5), vipw(8)
STANDARDS
Previous versions of the system had a program similar to pwd_mkdb, mkpasswd, which built dbm(3) style
databases for the password file but depended on the calling programs to install them. The program was
renamed in order that previous users of the program not be surprised by the changes in functionality.
BUGS
Because of the necessity for atomic update of the password files, pwd_mkdb uses rename(2) to install
them. This, however, requires that the file specified on the command line live on the same file system
as the /etc directory.
There are the obvious races with multiple people running pwd_mkdb on different password files at the
same time. The front-ends to pwd_mkdb, chpass(1), passwd(1), and vipw(8) handle the locking necessary
to avoid this problem.
BSD June 6, 1993 BSD
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