Determine if new user has changed password

[Guy Fraser]

 From 'man shadow'

       shadow   manipulates   the   contents  of  the  shadow  password  
file,
       /etc/shadow.  The structure in the #include file is

       struct spwd {
                 char *sp_namp; /* user login name */
                 char *sp_pwdp; /* encrypted password */
                 long sp_lstchg; /* last password change */
                 int  sp_min; /* days until change allowed. */
                 int  sp_max; /* days before change required */
                 int  sp_warn; /* days warning for expiration */
                 int  sp_inact; /* days before account inactive */
                 int  sp_expire; /* date when account expires */
                 int  sp_flag; /* reserved for future use */
       }

       The meanings of each field are

       sp_namp - pointer to null-terminated user name.
       sp_pwdp - pointer to null-terminated password.
       sp_lstchg - days since Jan 1, 1970 password was last changed.
       sp_min - days before which password may not be changed.
       sp_max - days after which password must be changed.
       sp_warn - days before password is to expire  that  user  is  
warned  of
       pending password expiration.
       sp_inact - days after password expires that account is considered 
inac-
       tive and disabled.
       sp_expire - days since Jan 1, 1970 when account will be disabled.
       sp_flag - reserved for future use.

Note: When a password is changed, the 'sp_lstchg' entry is updated.

You can use that entry to determine if the password was updated.

Ow Mun Heng wrote:

>Hi,
>
>	Normal practice when adding a new user is to batch load
>(with the same password)and then inform the user to change 
>their username within a set period of time.
>
>The problem statement is.. how do I determine if the user
>has changed their password by the end of the grace period.
>  
>