Linux in a Nutshell, 6th Edition

Name

pwconv

Synopsis

pwconv
pwunconv

System administration command. Convert unshadowed entries in /etc/passwd into shadowed entries in /etc/shadow. Replace the encrypted password in /etc/password with an x. Shadowing passwords keeps them safer from password-cracking programs. pwconv creates additional expiration information for the /etc/shadow file from entries in your /etc/login.defs file. If you add new entries to the /etc/passwd file, you can run pwconv again to transfer the new information to /etc/shadow. Already shadowed entries are ignored. pwunconv restores the encrypted passwords to your /etc/passwd file and removes the /etc/shadow file. Some expiration information is lost in the conversion. See also grpconv and grpunconv.