shadow/man/newusers.8.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<refentry id='newusers.8'>
  <!-- $Id: newusers.8.xml,v 1.16 2006/05/20 12:11:38 kloczek Exp $ -->
  <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>
      <command>newusers</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_age</emphasis>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    This field will be ignored for shadow passwords if the user
	    already exists.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <emphasis remap='I'>pw_gid</emphasis>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    This field may be the name of an existing group, in which case
	    the named user will be added as a member. If a non-existent
	    numerical group is given, a new group will be created having
	    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 the same 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>