SMBPASSWD(8)

NAME
smbpasswd - change a users smb password in the smbpasswd file.

SYNOPSIS
smbpasswd [ -a ] [ -r remote_machine ] [ -D DEBUGLEVEL ] [ username ]

DESCRIPTION
This program is part of the Samba suite. smbpasswd allows a user to change their encrypted smb password which is stored in the smbpasswd file (usually kept in the private directory under the Samba directory hierarchy. Ordinary users can only run the command with no options. It will prompt them for their old smb password and then ask them for their new password twice, to ensure that the new password was typed correctly. No passwords will be echoed on the screen whilst being typed. If you have a blank smb password (specified by the string "NO PASSWORD" in the smbpasswd file) then just press the <Enter> key when asked for your old password. New for 1.9.18p4. smbpasswd will now allow a user to change their password on a Windows NT server. To use this add the -r <remote_machine> paramter to the smbpasswd command. The machine name is looked up using the "name resolve order" parameter defined in the smb.conf [global] section. Note that when changing a Windows NT password for a domain user, <remote machine> must be the name of the Primary domain controller. To allow users to change their passwords from "NO PASSWORD" in the smbpasswd file to a valid password the administrator must set the following parameter in the [global] section of the smb.conf : null passwords = true This is NOT recommended as a general policy, it is recommended that new users be assigned a default password instead. The -a and username options can only be used by a user running as root.

OPTIONS
-a
    Specifies that the username following should be added to the smbpasswd file, with the new password typed (type <Enter> for the old password). This option is ignored if the username following already exists in the smbpasswd file and it is treated like a regular change password command. Note that the user to be added must already exist in the system password file (usually /etc/passwd) else the request to add the user will fail.
username
    You may only specify a username to the smbpasswd command if you are running as root. Only root should have the permission to modify other users smb passwords.

INSTALLATION
The location of the server and its support files is a matter for individual system administrators. The following are thus suggestions only. It is recommended that the smbpasswd program be installed in the /usr/local/samba/bin directory. This should be a directory readable by all, writeable only by root. The program should be executable by all. The program must not be setuid root.

VERSION
This man page is correct for version 1.9.18p4 of the Samba suite. These notes will necessarily lag behind development of the software, so it is possible that your version of the program has extensions or parameter semantics that differ from or are not covered by this man page. Please notify these to the address below for rectification.

SEE ALSO
smbd(8), smb.conf(5)

BUGS
The smbpasswd command is only useful if Samba has been set up to use encrypted passwords. See the file ENCRYPTION.txt in the docs directory for details on how to do this.

CREDITS
The original Samba software and related utilities were created by Andrew Tridgell (samba-bugs@samba.anu.edu.au). Andrew is also the Keeper of the Source for this project. smbpasswd and the encrypted password file code was written by Jeremy Allison (samba-bugs@samba.anu.edu.au). This man page was written by Jeremy Allison. Bug reports to samba-bugs@samba.anu.edu.au. See smb.conf(5) for a full list of contributors and details of how to submit bug reports, comments etc.