CHAGE linux command manual

CHAGE(1)                                                           CHAGE(1)



NAME
       chage - change user password expiry information

SYNOPSIS
       chage [-m mindays] [-M maxdays] [-d lastday] [-I inactive]
             [-E expiredate] [-W warndays] user

       chage -l user

DESCRIPTION
       chage changes the number of days between password changes and the date
       of the last password change.  This information is used by  the  system
       to  determine when a user must change her password.  The chage command
       is restricted to the root user, except for the -l option, which may be
       used by an unprivileged user to determine when her password or account
       is due to expire.

       With the -m option, the value of mindays is the minimum number of days
       between  password  changes.   A value of zero for this field indicates
       that the user may change her password at any time.

       With the -M option, the value of maxdays is the maximum number of days
       during  which  a password is valid.  When maxdays plus lastday is less
       than the current day, the user will be required to change her password
       before  being  able to use her account.  This occurance can be planned
       for in advance by use of the -W option, which provides the  user  with
       advance warning.

       With  the  -d option, the value of lastday is the number of days since
       January 1st, 1970 when the password was last changed.   The  date  may
       also  be  expressed  in the format YYYY-MM-DD (or the format more com-
       monly used in your area).

       The -E option is used to set a date on which the user's  account  will
       no  longer be accessible.  The expiredate option is the number of days
       since January 1, 1970 on which the accounted is locked.  The date  may
       also  be  expressed  in the format YYYY-MM-DD (or the format more com-
       monly used in your area).  A user whose account is locked must contact
       the system administrator before being able to use the system again.

       The  -I option is used to set the number of days of inactivity after a
       password has expired before  the  account  is  locked.   The  inactive
       option is the number of days of inactivity. A value of 0 disables this
       feature.  A user whose account  is  locked  must  contact  the  system
       administrator before being able to use the system again.

       The  -W  option  is used to set the number of days of warning before a
       password change is required.  The warndays option  is  the  number  of
       days  prior  to  the  password expiring that a user will be warned her
       password is about to expire.

       If none of the options are selected, chage operates in an  interactive
       fashion,  prompting  the  user  with the current values for all of the
       fields.  Enter the new value to change the field, or  leave  the  line
       blank  to  use  the  current  value.   The  current value is displayed
       between a pair of [ ] marks.

NOTE
       The chage program requires shadow password file to be available.   Its
       functionality is not available when passwords are stored in the passwd
       file.

FILES
       /etc/passwd - user account information
       /etc/shadow - shadow user account information

SEE ALSO
       passwd(5), shadow(5)

AUTHOR
       Julianne Frances Haugh 



                                                                     CHAGE(1)