How To Set A User As NP In /etc/shadow ?

[OhNoNotAgain]

Hello all,

I need to set a user id in the /etc/shadow file to be NP, e.g.

myuser:NP:::::::

I have to do this via a shell script and NOT by editing the /etc/shadow file. Any ideas how it can be done via the command line ?

Thanks

 

[Igaduma]

with useradd ?

 

[Annihilannic]

You could set it to *LK* using passwd -l. I'm not sure that's exactly equivalent though.

Alternatively you can 'edit' the /etc/shadow file using ed or sed or similar.

Annihilannic.

 

[SamBones]

The official way is...

    passwd -l username

Hope this helps.

 

[OhNoNotAgain]

Thanks all for the replies ...

I cannot use 'passwd -l username' as that sets the account to *LK* or locked. We are using the latest version of OpenSSH (v3.7.1p2) which does not allow access to locked accounts, hence the required change from *LK* to NP.

I have done quite a bit of research and not found a command line answer other than editing the file using sed as suggested above.

If you know different please let me know. I was really hoping for something like a 'passwd -np username' type command.

 

[ddrillich]

btw, what's NP in the /etc/shadow file?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[SamBones]

The NP in the [tt]/etc/shadow[/tt] file stands for No Password. It has the effect of not allowing someone to log into it (i.e. via [tt]telnet[/tt]), but will still allow [tt]root[/tt] to [tt]su[/tt] to it, being that it's not locked.

Hope this helps.