1 .\" Hey, Emacs! This is an -*- nroff -*- source file.
2 .TH SYNC\-ACCOUNTS 8 "14th July 2002" "Greenend" "chiark utilities"
4 sync\-accounts \- synchronise accounts and passwords
6 .BR sync\-accounts " [\fIoptions\fP] [\fIsource\fP ...]"
9 is a tool for copying account information into the local system's
10 password and group databases, or equivalent, from other systems. It
11 can be used to slave individual accounts, whole systems, or various
14 By default, when invoked, sync-accounts reads is configuration file
15 and updates all of the local details it is configured to synchronise,
16 from all relevant sources.
18 If one or more \fIsource\fPs are named as command-line arguments, only
19 information from those sources is installed locally.
23 for detailed information about sync-accounts's behaviour and
31 .BR /etc/sync-accounts .
34 Instead of updating local information, sync-accounts displays a
35 summary of which accounts are synchronised or not, and from where.
38 Causes sync-accounts not to actually install the new information in
39 the local password and group databases. Instead, updated versions are
44 in the current directory. With
46 new accounts are not created at all. The system databases are not
49 sync-accounts is not resistant to malicious data in the local
50 password and group databases, or its configuration file or command
53 Malicious data in source information will not be able to take control
54 of sync-accounts, but will be copied to the local databases if
55 sync-accounts is configured to do so.
57 To update the local databases, sync-accounts must be run as root.
58 For \-q and \-n sync-accounts still needs to be able to successfuly
59 invoke the commands specified in the configuration for getpasswd and
64 All went well and there were no warnings.
67 There were problems. The local databases may or may not have been
72 Default configuration file. (Override with
75 .B sync-accounts-createuser
76 Default command invoked by sync-accounts to create local users.
79 Default location for created users' home directories.
82 Default shell for created users.
84 .BR /etc/passwd ", " /etc/group ", " /etc/shadow ", " /etc/master.passwd
85 Local account databases, depending on configuration.
87 .BR /etc/shadow-non-existent
91 .BR EDITOR ", " VISUAL
92 Manipulated by sync-\accounts when it is reinvoking itself via vipw or
96 .BR "lockgroup runvia" .
99 Used by sync-accounts for its own purposes. Do not set these
102 Setting variables used by
107 .BR EDITOR " and/or" VISUAL
108 will affect the operation of sync-accounts.
109 Avoid messing with these if possible.
112 is used to find subprograms such as
113 .BR sync-accounts-createuser " and " vipw / vigr .
115 Using sync-accounts does not give particularly prompt propagation of
116 changed account information.
118 There is no simple mechanism for automatically getting the right
119 configuration details for accessing the local system's password and
122 All the systems sharing account information using sync-accounts need
123 to be using compatible encrypted-password schemes.
126 and this manpage are part of the
128 package which was written by Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk>.
129 They are Copyright 1999-2000,2002 Ian Jackson
130 <ian@davenant.greenend.org.uk>, and Copyright 2000-2001 nCipher
133 The sync-accounts package is free software; you can redistribute it
134 and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
135 published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at
136 your option) any later version.
138 This is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
139 WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
140 FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more
143 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
144 with this program; if not, consult the Free Software Foundation's
145 website at www.fsf.org, or the GNU Project website at www.gnu.org.
147 .BR sync-accounts "(5), "
148 .BR grab-account "(8), "
149 .BR sync-accounts-createuser "(8), "
153 .BR master.passwd "(5), "