chfn(1)                                                             chfn(1)




 NAME    [Toc]    [Back]
      chfn - change user information; used by finger

 SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]
      chfn [login-name]

      chfn -r files [login-name]

      chfn -r nis [login-name]

      chfn -r nisplus [login-name]

      chfn -r dce [login-name]


 DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]
      The chfn command changes the user information that is stored in the
      repository for the current logged-in user or for the user specified by
      login-name (see passwd(1)).

      The information is organized as four comma-separated subfields within
      the reserved (5th) field of the password file entry.  It consists of
      the user's full name, location code, office phone number, and home
      phone number, in that order.  This information is used by the finger
      command and other programs (see finger(1)).

      chfn prompts you for each subfield.  The prompt includes a default
      value, which is enclosed in brackets.  Accept the default value by
      pressing the Return key.  To enter a blank subfield, type the word
      none.

      The DCE repository (-r dce) is only available if Integrated Login has
      been configured, see auth.adm(1M).  If Integrated Login has been
      configured, other considerations apply.  A user with appropriate DCE
      privileges is capable of modifying a user's finger (gecos)
      information; this is not dependent upon superuser privileges.

      If the repository is not specified; i.e., chfn [login-name], the
      finger information is changed in the passwd file only.

      Run finger after running chfn to make sure the information was
      processed correctly.

    Options    [Toc]    [Back]
      The following option is recognized:

           -r             Specify the repository to which the operation is
                          to be applied.  Supported repositories include
                          files, nis, nisplus, and dce.





 Hewlett-Packard Company            - 1 -   HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003






 chfn(1)                                                             chfn(1)




    Subfield Values    [Toc]    [Back]
           Name                Up to 1022 printing characters.

                               The finger command and other utilities expand
                               an & found anywhere in this subfield by
                               substituting the login name for it and
                               shifting the first letter of the login name
                               to uppercase.  (chfn does not alter the input
                               &.)

           Location            Up to 1022 printing characters.

           Office Phone        Up to 25 printing characters.

                               finger inserts appropriate hyphens if the
                               value is all digits.

           Home Phone          Up to 25 printing characters.

                               finger inserts appropriate hyphens if the
                               value is all digits.

    Security Restrictions    [Toc]    [Back]
      You must have appropriate privileges to use the optional login-name
      argument to change another user's information.

 EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]
      The following is a sample run.  The user's input is shown in regular
      type.

           Name [Tracy Simmons]:
           Location (Ex: 47U-P5) []: 42L-P1
           Office Phone (Ex: 1632) [77777]: 71863
           Home Phone (Ex: 9875432) [4085551546]: none

 WARNINGS    [Toc]    [Back]
      The encoding of office and extension information is installationdependent.


      For historical reasons, the user's name, etc., are stored in the
      /etc/passwd file.  This is an inappropriate place to store the
      information.

      Because two users may try to write the passwd file at once, a
      synchronization method was developed.  On rare occasions, chfn prints
      a message that the password file is busy.  When this occurs, chfn
      sleeps for a short time, then tries to write to the passwd file again.

 AUTHOR    [Toc]    [Back]
      chfn was developed by the University of California, Berkeley.




 Hewlett-Packard Company            - 2 -   HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003






 chfn(1)                                                             chfn(1)




 FILES    [Toc]    [Back]
      /etc/passwd
      /etc/ptmp

 NOTES    [Toc]    [Back]
      The chfn command is a hard link to passwd command. When chfn is
      executed, actually the passwd command gets executed with appropriate
      arguments to change the user gecos information in the repository
      specified in command line. If no repository is specified the gecos
      information is changed in /etc/passwd file.

 SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]
      chsh(1), finger(1), passwd(1), passwd(4).


 Hewlett-Packard Company            - 3 -   HP-UX 11i Version 2: August 2003