The programs referenced here provide the AIX administrator with the ability to automatically and dynamically set passwords for one or more users from a script or command line. These programs accept command line arguments consisting of the user name and new password (ASCII text), then set or change the specified user's password. At the same time the ADMCHG flag is reset so the user is not required to change their password the next time they login.

The programs that provide this functionality are a compiled "C" language utility and a shell script. The shell script provides an interface to the compiled utility that allows the AIX administrator to change a single users password, or multiple passwords by reading the username/password pairs from standard input or from a file.

When reading usernames and passwords from standard input or from a file, the field delimeter can be a pipe symbol (|), forward slash (/), comma (,), colon(:), space, or tab character. The standard input stream or data file is assumed to contain the fields: username, newpasssword : in that order. If the line of data from standard input or from a file is empty or begins with a hash mark (#), it is skipped.

The shell script interface provides numerous options and capabilities:

Shell script command line options and arguments

• -c = The data source is command line arguments. Requires command line arguments of username followed by the new password to set for the specified user
• -s = The data source is the standard input stream.
  Expected fields are: Username|newPasswd.
  Valid field delimeters: |/,:<space><tab>
• -f datafile = The data source is read from the specified file.
  Expected fields are: Username|newPasswd.
  Valid field delimeters: |/,:<space><tab>
• -v = Verbose mode, status messages are written to standard error as the script is executing.
• -V = Very Verbose mode, Each command is displayed on standard error as it is executed.
• username = Name of an existing user on the AIX system.
• newpasswd = New password to set for the specified user

Compiled "C" language utility command line options and arguments

• -c = Clears all flags set in the /etc/security/passwd file, equivalent to "-c" flag of pwdadm command. If not specified, the user is forced to change their password the next time a login command or an su command is given for the user.
• -u username = Specifies the name of the user to set or change their password.
• -p password = The ASCII text password to set or change for the specified user.

The source code for these programs can be purchased for $250 by contacting Dana French.