---
name: "vipw"
section: "8"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/vipw"
---

# vipw(8)

edit the password file

## 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)](/vi/1.md).

**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)](/pwd_mkdb/8.md) to update the user database. This is run in the background and, at very large sites, could take several minutes. Until this update is completed, the password file is unavailable for other updates and the new information is not available to programs.

Which type of cipher is used to encrypt the password information depends on the configuration in [login.conf(5)](/login.conf/5.md).

## 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)](/vi/1.md).

## FILES

- */etc/master.passwd*

  Current password file.

- */etc/passwd*

  Legacy password file.

- */etc/ptmp*

  Password lock file.

- */etc/pwd.db*

  Insecure password database file.

- */etc/spwd.db*

  Secure password database file.

## SEE ALSO

[chpass(1)](/chpass/1.md), [passwd(1)](/passwd/1.md), [login.conf(5)](/login.conf/5.md), [passwd(5)](/passwd/5.md), [adduser(8)](/adduser/8.md), [pwd\_mkdb(8)](/pwd_mkdb/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **vipw** command appeared in 4.0BSD.