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VIPW(8)                   BSD System Manager's Manual                  VIPW(8)

NAME
     vipw -- edit the password file

SYNOPSIS
     vipw

DESCRIPTION
     Vipw edits the password file after setting the appropriate locks, and does any necessary processing
     after the password file is unlocked.  If the password file is already locked for editing by another
     user, vipw will ask you to try again later. The default editor for vipw is vi(1).

     Vipw performs a number of consistency checks on the password entries, and will not allow a password
     file with a ``mangled'' entry to be installed.  If vipw rejects the new password file, the user is
     prompted to re-enter the edit session.

     Once the information has been verified, vipw uses pwd_mkdb(8) to update the user database.  This is run
     in the background, and, at very large sites could take several minutes.  Until this update is com-pleted, completed,
     pleted, the password file is unavailable for other updates and the new information is not available to
     programs.

ENVIRONMENT
     If the following environment variable exists it will be utilized by vipw:

     EDITOR  The editor specified by the string EDITOR will be invoked instead of the default editor vi(1).

SEE ALSO
     chpass(1), passwd(1), passwd(5), pwd_mkdb(8)

HISTORY
     The vipw command appeared in 4.0BSD.

4th Berkeley Distribution        June 6, 1993        4th Berkeley Distribution