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mkpasswd(8)
NAME
  mkpasswd - Creates a version of the basic user database organized for
  efficient searches

SYNOPSIS
  /usr/sbin/mkpasswd  [-v] [-s size] passwdfile

OPTIONS
  -v  Specifies that each stored entry be listed on standard output

  -s size
      Specifies the page block size to use in creating the hashed password
      database.	 The size argument is a value from 1 to 32, representing page
      block sizes from 1024 to 32768, respectively.  The default page block
      size is 1024.

DESCRIPTION
  The mkpasswd command creates an auxiliary version of the basic user
  database in a form organized for efficient searches by the getpwuid
  subroutine and the getpwnam subroutine. The mkpasswd command reads the user
  attributes in the /etc/passwd file and creates a hashed password database
  in the /etc/passwd.dir and /etc/passwd.pag files (see ndbm(3) reference
  page).

  If you specify a file other than /etc/passwd, the command reads the user
  attributes in that file and creates a hashed password database in the
  passwdfile.dir and passwdfile.pag files. It is important to know that the
  password file you designate must be in password file format (see the
  passwd(4) reference page).

  Note that if you use the vipw command to edit a password file, you do not
  need to use the mkpasswd command. This is because the vipw command
  automatically invokes the mkpasswd command which in turn creates the
  /etc/passwd.dir and /etc/passwd.pag files.

  Only the root user should have execute access to the mkpasswd command.

  Files accessed:

  Mode	  File

  r	  /etc/passwd

  rw	  /etc/passwd.pag

  rw	  /etc/passwd.dir

  rw	  passwdfile

  rw	  passwdfile.pag

  rw	  passwdfile.dir

  The mkpasswd command may fail with a errno value of EFBIG if the password
  file is large (30,000 entries or more).  This failure can be avoided by
  using the -s option to set a larger page block size for the hashed
  database.

RETURN VALUES
  The mkpasswd command exits with a nonzero exit code if any errors are
  detected.

ERRORS
  If the mkpasswd request is not successful, the following error message is
  displayed:

  File exists
      The passwdfile.dir and passwdfile.pag files already exist from a
      previous execution of the same mkpasswd command.

SECURITY NOTE
  If enhanced security is running on your system, the passwords are stored in
  the extended attributes database.  See the Security guide for more
  information about passwords in the enhanced security environment.

EXAMPLES
  If you have not used vipw to edit the /etc/passwd and wish to generate a
  hashed password database, enter the following:

       /usr/sbin/mkpasswd -v /etc/passwd

  An auxiliary version of the basic user database (/etc/passwd.dir and
  /etc/passwd.pag files) is created with a hashing algorithm.

  To create a hashed password database with a page block size of 8192, enter
  the following:

       /usr/sbin/makepasswd -s 8 /etc/passwd

FILES
  /usr/sbin/mkpasswd
      Specifies the command path

SEE ALSO
  Commands: adduser(8), passwd(1), passwd(4), vipw(8)

  Functions: getpwent(3), ndbm(3)

  Manuals: Security

Index for Section 8

Alphabetical listing for M

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