changing UID in /etc/passwd?

Admin · 09-04-2002, 08:38 AM

can you change the UID in /etc/passwd?

i have been trying to find a way to do it, but it looks like i cant...

arggh.

sdeming · 09-04-2002, 11:18 AM

You can use "chfn" to change UID, but you must be root to do so. I'm pretty sure this will leave any files that are currently owned by the user in limbo without a resolvable UID for ownership.

sde · 09-04-2002, 12:03 PM

hey matt, i'm pretty sure this will work too

Code:

# rm -rf *

how is the redhat network working out? what do the new users think of it .. i guess they are "X-Windows" users in 2 ways now =)

redhead · 09-05-2002, 04:39 AM

Or use:
usermod -u <new UID> username
But it will leave all owned files from teh user to be owned by the old UID, not the new one.

To handle this, use something like find, with teh parameters to search for files owned by old_uid, and then use xargs to chown them to the new_uid.

Admin · 09-05-2002, 06:46 AM

90% of user files are on a fileserver, so modifing files is easy im doing this

find / -user OLD_UID

then just chown them all (there are only like 10-20 files peruser)

all the new systems are working out well, the smarter people actualy like the new systems.... i have a meeting in 13 minutes with all of customer service....

thanks for all the help guys