NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     vipw -- edit the password file

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     vipw [-d directory]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The vipw utility 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).

     When run without options, vipw will work with the password files in /etc.
     The -d option may be used to specify an alternative directory to work
     with.

     The vipw utility 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) 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.

ENVIRONMENT    [Toc]    [Back]

     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).

     PW_SCAN_BIG_IDS  See pwd_mkdb(8).

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     chpass(1), passwd(1), passwd(5), adduser(8), pwd_mkdb(8)

HISTORY    [Toc]    [Back]

     The vipw utility appeared in 4.0BSD.


FreeBSD 5.2.1			 June 6, 1993			 FreeBSD 5.2.1