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🔑 Managing Passwords
Managing Passwords
Think of passwords as the keys to an employee's office desk. If someone loses their key or wants a new one, the office admin can change it.
Think of passwords as the keys to an employee's office desk. If someone loses their key or wants a new one, the office admin can change it.
4a. passwd
The passwd command lets you set or change a user's password.
passwd
If you're changing your own password:
The system will ask:
- Current password → a
- New password → b
- Confirm new password → c
Analogy: You're at the security desk, swapping your old key for a new one.
sudo passwd john
To change another user's password (requires root/sudo):
You don't need John's current password; you just set a new one.
4b. Password Policies
Just like the office may have rules for strong keys, Linux can enforce strong passwords.
Examples of common rules:
- Minimum length (e.g., 8 characters) → o
- Mix of letters, numbers, symbols → o
- Expiration (need to change every X days) → o
chage -l john
To check when a password expires:
Analogy: Security checks when the employee's key needs replacement.
Real-life analogy
✅ Key takeaway:
1. passwd = change your or another user's password
2. Strong passwords = stronger "office security"
3. Admins can enforce expiration and policies
