---
name: "qmail-pw2u"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "qmail"
version: "1.06-6.2~deb10u1"
release: "Debian 10 (Buster)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/qmail-pw2u"
---

# qmail-pw2u(8)

build address assignments from a passwd file

## NAME

qmail-pw2u - build address assignments from a passwd file

## SYNOPSIS

**qmail-pw2u** \[ **-/ohHuUC** \] \[ **-c*char*** \]

## DESCRIPTION

**qmail-pw2u** reads a V7-format passwd file from standard input and prints a **qmail-users**-format assignment file.

A V7-format passwd file is a series of lines. Each line has the format

```
   user:password:uid:gid:gecos:home:shell
```

where *user* is an account name, *uid* and *gid* are the user id and group id of that account, and *home* is the account's home directory. *password*, *gecos*, and *shell* are ignored by **qmail-pw2u**.

If you put the output of **qmail-pw2u** into **/var/lib/qmail/users/assign**, and then run **qmail-newu**, **qmail-lspawn** will obey the assignments printed by **qmail-pw2u**. **WARNING:** After changing any users, uids, gids, or home directories in your passwd file, you must run **qmail-pw2u** and **qmail-newu** again if you want **qmail-lspawn** to see the changes.

## RULES

By default, **qmail-pw2u** follows the same rules as **qmail-getpw**. It skips *user* if (1) *uid* is zero, (2) *home* does not exist, (3) *user* does not own *home*, or (4) *user* contains uppercase letters. It then gives each remaining *user* control over the basic *user* address and all addresses of the form *user**-**anything*. A catch-all user, **alias**, controls all other addresses.

You may change these rules by setting up files in **/var/lib/qmail/users**:

- **include**

  Allowed users, one per line. If **include** exists, and *user* is not listed in **include**, *user* is ignored.

- **exclude**

  Ignored users, one per line. If **exclude** exists, and *user* is listed in **exclude**, *user* is ignored.

- **mailnames**

  Replacement names for users. Each line has the form

  ```
     user:mailname1:mailname2:...
  ```

  The addresses *mailname1* and *mailname1**-**ext* and *mailname2* and so on will be delivered to *user*.

  **WARNING:** The addresses *user* and *user**-**ext* will not be delivered to *user* unless *user* is listed as one of the *mailname*s.

  A line in **mailnames** is silently ignored if the user does not exist.

- **subusers**

  Extra addresses. Each line has the form

  ```
     sub:user:pre:
  ```

  *sub* will be handled by *home**/.qmail-**pre*, where *home* is *user*'s home directory; *sub**-**ext* will be handled by *home**/.qmail-**pre**-**ext*.

- **append**

  Extra assignments, printed at the end of **qmail-pw2u**'s output.

## OPTIONS

- **-o**

  (Default.) Skip *user* if *home* does not exist (or is not visible to **qmail-pw2u**). Skip *user* if *home* is not owned by *user*.

- **-h**

  Stop if *home* does not exist. This is appropriate if every user is supposed to have a home directory. Skip *user* if *home* is not owned by *user*.

- **-H**

  Do not check the existence or ownership of *home*.

- **-U**

  (Default.) Skip *user* if there are any uppercase letters in *user*.

- **-u**

  Allow uppercase letters in *user*.

- **-c*char***

  Use *char* as the user-extension delimiter in place of **-**.

- **-C**

  Disable the user-extension mechanism.

- **-/**

  Use *home**/.qmail-/***... instead of *home**/.qmail-***...

## SEE ALSO

[qmail-users(5)](/qmail-users/5.md), [qmail-lspawn(8)](/qmail-lspawn/8.md), [qmail-newu(8)](/qmail-newu/8.md), [qmail-getpw(8)](/qmail-getpw/8.md)