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Sidebar: Using Password-ese

The password aging values are defined in this table.

Character	Value in Weeks
.	0
/	1
0	2
1	3
2	4
3	5
4	6
5	7
6	8
7	9
8	10
9	11
A	12
B	13
C	14
...	...
a	38
b	39
c	40
...	...
z	632

Using this information, and looking at a password that has password aging in place, we can decipher its meaning.

chare:2eLNss48eJ/GY,C2:215:100:
Chris Hare:/usr1/chare:/bin/sh

In this example, the password has been set to age using the value of C to define the maximum number of weeks before the password expires, and 2 to define the minimum number of weeks which must pass before the user will be allowed to change his password again.

chare:,..:215:100:Chris Hare:
/usr1/chare:/bin/sh

This example will force a password change at the next login.

chare:2eLNss48eJ/GY,./:215:100:
Chris Hare:/usr1/chare:/bin/sh

This example will prevent a user from being able to change his password.