---
name: "npasswd"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "npasswd-boulder"
version: "1.2.2-2"
release: "Debian 1.2 (Rex)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/npasswd"
---

# npasswd(1)

change login password

## NAME

npasswd - change login password

## SYNOPSIS

**npasswd** \[ **-P** \] \[ **-V** \] \[ username \]

## DESCRIPTION

*Npasswd* changes or installs a login password for **username** (your own by default). Only the super-user can change another users' password.

When changing a password, *npasswd* prompts for the old password and then for the new one. The new password must be typed twice to forestall mistakes. The new password is checked for reasonableness.

*Npasswd* accepts the option switches of the 4.3BSD and SunOS 4.X *passwd* but impliments none of them. The **-V** option prints version and patch level information.

The **-P** option indicates that  **npasswd** will be fed input from another program via a pipe. This option is reserved for the super-user.

*Npasswd* can change both local passwords and passwords in a Network Information Service (aka Yellow Pages) database.

*Npasswd* will not accept passwords that:

Are less than 6 characters long.

Match anything in your UNIX account information, such as your login name or an item from your "finger" data entry.

Are found in the system's spelling dictionary.

Have less than 5 different characters.

Are entirely single case letters.

Fail any of these tests when reversed, pluralized, or truncated.

## FILES

- */etc/passwd*

  System password file to be changed

- */etc/passwd~*

  Backup copy of previous passwd file

- */etc/ptmp*

  Lock file for /etc/passwd

- */etc/npasswd/npasswd.conf*

  Configuration file for npasswd

- */etc/npasswd/npasswd.help*

  Help file for npasswd

- */etc/npasswd/npasswd.motd*

  Message printed when npasswd is run

## SEE ALSO

[passwd(1)](/passwd/1.md), [passwd(5)](/passwd/5.md), yppasswd(3R), yppasswdd(8C), [finger(1)](/finger/1.md), [login(1)](/login/1.md), [crypt(3)](/crypt/3.md), passwd.adjuct(5), ypfiles(5), ypmake(8)

## DIAGNOSTICS

Various, hopefully self-explanitory.

## BUGS

This program could do shells and fullnames. Probably a future version will. Since it tries to work for a range of UNIX systems, it will without doubt not do everything quite as well as the vendor-supplied version.

## AUTHOR

Clyde Hoover\
 Computation Center\
 The University of Texas at Austin\
 clyde@emx.utexas.edu, uunet!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!clyde