shadow/man/chage.1.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<refentry id='chage.1'>
  <!--  $Id: chage.1.xml,v 1.34 2006/05/31 19:21:01 kloczek Exp $  -->
  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>chage</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
    <refmiscinfo class="sectdesc">User Commands</refmiscinfo>
  </refmeta>
  <refnamediv id='name'>
    <refname>chage</refname>
    <refpurpose>change user password expiry information</refpurpose>
  </refnamediv>
  <refsynopsisdiv id='synopsis'>
    <cmdsynopsis>
      <command>chage</command>
      <arg choice='opt'>
	<replaceable>options</replaceable>
      </arg>
      <arg choice='plain'><replaceable>user</replaceable></arg>
    </cmdsynopsis>
  </refsynopsisdiv>

  <refsect1 id='description'>
    <title>DESCRIPTION</title>
    <para>
      The <command>chage</command> 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
      his/her password.
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='options'>
    <title>OPTIONS</title>
    <para>
      The options which apply to the <command>chage</command> command are:
    </para>
    <variablelist remap='IP'>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-d</option>, <option>--lastday</option> <replaceable>LAST_DAY</replaceable>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    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).
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-E</option>, <option>--expiredate</option> <replaceable>EXPIRE_DATE</replaceable>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    Set the date or number of days since January 1, 1970 on which the
	    user's account will no longer be accessible. 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.
	  </para>
	  <para>
	    Passing the number <emphasis remap='I'>-1</emphasis> as the
	    <replaceable>EXPIRE_DATE</replaceable> will remove an account
	    expiration date.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><option>-h</option>, <option>--help</option></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Display help message and exit.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-I</option>, <option>--inactive</option> <replaceable>INACTIVE</replaceable>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    Set the number of days of inactivity after a password has
	    expired before the account is locked. The
	    <replaceable>INACTIVE</replaceable> option is the number of days
	    of inactivity. A user whose account is locked must contact the
	    system administrator before being able to use the system again.
	  </para>
	  <para>
	    Passing the number <emphasis remap='I'>-1</emphasis> as the
	    <replaceable>INACTIVE</replaceable> will remove an account's
	    inactivity.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-l</option>, <option>--list</option>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	  Show account aging information.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-m</option>, <option>--mindays</option> <replaceable>MIN_DAYS</replaceable>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    Set the minimum number of days between password changes to
	    <replaceable>MIN_DAYS</replaceable>. A value of zero for this field
	    indicates that the user may change his/her password at any time.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-M</option>, <option>--maxdays</option> <replaceable>MAX_DAYS</replaceable>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    Set the maximum number of days during which a password is valid. 
	    When <replaceable>MAX_DAYS</replaceable> plus
	    <replaceable>LAST_DAY</replaceable> is less than the current
	    day, the user will be required to change his/her password before
	    being able to use his/her account. This occurrence can be planned for
	    in advance by use of the <option>-W</option> option, which
	    provides the user with advance warning.
	  </para>
	  <para>
	    Passing the number <emphasis remap='I'>-1</emphasis> as
	    <replaceable>MAX_DAYS</replaceable> will remove checking a
	    password's validity.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-W</option>, <option>--warndays</option> <replaceable>WARN_DAYS</replaceable>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    Set the number of days of warning before a password change is
	    required. The <replaceable>WARN_DAYS</replaceable> option is the
	    number of days prior to the password expiring that a user will
	    be warned his/her password is about to expire.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
    <para>
      If none of the options are selected, <command>chage</command> 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 <emphasis>[ ]</emphasis> marks.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
  <refsect1 id='note'>
    <title>NOTE</title>
    <para>
      The <command>chage</command> program requires a shadow password file to
      be available.
    </para>
    <para>The <command>chage</command> command is restricted to the root
      user, except for the <option>-l</option> option, which may be used by
      an unprivileged user to determine when his/her password or account is due
      to expire.
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='files'>
    <title>FILES</title>
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <filename>/etc/passwd</filename>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>User account information.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <filename>/etc/shadow</filename>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Secure user account information.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='exit_values'>
    <title>EXIT VALUES</title>
    <para>
      The <command>chage</command> command exits with the following values:
      <variablelist>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>0</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>success</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>1</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>permission denied</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>2</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>invalid command syntax</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>15</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>can't find the shadow password file</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
      </variablelist>
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='see_also'>
    <title>SEE ALSO</title>
    <para>
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>passwd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>shadow</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
</refentry>