Home / ubuntu / Questions / 108529
In Process
bambuntu
Asked: 2012-02-29 06:19:33 +0800 CST

Autochange User Passwords On Boot

  • 772

I'm trying to increase the security of a remaster distro meant to be ran live and used online. To avoid tempting the user into:

  • not changing their password
  • not creating a new password, or
  • using an auto login user

I'm changing the password at the gdm and creating a popup window that gives the passwords to the user to sign in.

At this point in time, this is what is what is going on:

  • passwords sometimes successfully changed.
  • some user passwords are changed, others not
  • old passwords are never left, so if the passwords are not changed successfully, then there is a lock out, reboot needed

What can I do to the start up script to ensure the passwords are definitely changed?

password python code call, for the user manager:

os.system("usermod -p `mkpasswd -H md5 " + managerPassword + "` manager")

startup script:

# create new passwords at login

task
# the following "start on" from gdm.conf, has helped, but not solved
start on (filesystem
          and started dbus
          and (drm-device-added card0 PRIMARY_DEVICE_FOR_DISPLAY=1
               or stopped udevtrigger)) or initpasswd

script
    python /initpasswd/initpasswd-sleep.py # a little sleep has helped, not solved
    python /initpasswd/initpasswd.py # password reset script
    echo "" > /initpasswd/initpasswd.py # so it resets only once at gdm per boot
end script
gdm startup password

1 Answers

  1. You could skip most of this, and simply use password aging to set up a passwordless login that requires a change of password at first login. See man chage, and this explanation of password aging. /usr/bin/chage is in the passwd package on my Ubuntu 11.10. This is another good explanation.

    • 2