https://DevOpsCloud.io -- Cloud Monk Losang Jinpa, Ph.D., MCSE/MCT, GitOps DevOps Engineer

Return to Password Management, Windows Password Management, macOS Password Management, iOS Password Management, Android Password Management, IBM Mainframe Password Management, AWS Password Management, Azure Password Management, GCP Password Management, Docker Password Management, Kubernetes Password Management

• Definition: Linux Password Management involves the mechanisms and tools used to securely store, manage, and authenticate user passwords on a Linux system.

• Function: Ensures that user passwords are stored securely, allows users to manage their passwords, and facilitates authentication for system access and services.

• Components:
  • /etc/passwd: A file that stores user account information, but not passwords.
  • /etc/shadow: A file that stores encrypted user password information.
  • PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules): A suite of security libraries that handle authentication tasks.
  • Password Management Tools: Utilities like `passwd`, `chage`, and `usermod` for managing user passwords.

• Features:
  • Password Encryption: Uses password hashing algorithms (e.g., SHA-512) to encrypt passwords stored in the /etc/shadow file.
  • Linux Password Policies: Enforce rules such as minimum password length, password complexity, and password expiration periods to enhance security.
  • Linux Password Management Tools: Provide commands for Linux users and Linux administrators to change passwords, set expiration dates, and configure password policies.
  • Linux Authentication Mechanisms: Integrates with various authentication methods, including local files, Linux LDAP, and Linux Kerberos.

• Usage: Critical for system security, ensuring that only authorized users can access the system and its resources.

• Changing a user's password:

   ```bash
   passwd 
   ```

• Viewing password expiration information:

   ```bash
   chage -l 
   ```

• Forcing a user to change their password at next login:

   ```bash
   chage -d 0 
   ```

• Configuring password policies (e.g., minimum password length):

   * Edit the `[[/etc/security/pwquality.conf]]` file to set desired password policies.

• Linux Password Management: Involves securely storing, managing, and authenticating user passwords using tools and mechanisms like /etc/shadow, PAM, and various password management utilities to ensure system security.