unix passwords

does anyone have any hints on scripting a largescale password
change (400 users), given a textfile with "user, pass" ???
i've already got one that uses the builtin solaris command "passwd"
along with "expect", but it takes a couple of hours to complete.
i'm hoping to find or write something that just takes the textfile, and
spits out the salted md5 hash to a new shadow file.

I would check your passwd command. Under linux there is a --stdin option that will take the password from standard in (either a redirection or a pipe). Couple that with some perl/python/shell scripting and that should take care of everything. I have had to do this a couple of times in the past and that is the best way I can think of.

i wish it were that easy. i can't find any such option in solaris.

You might want to look at perl and the Expect module, this will suffice.

robert,
i found "openssl passwd" which has the option you're talking
about. it also has the option to choose a salt and pass and it
will spit out a hash for you.

mybox$ openssl passwd -salt ff foo
ffTU0fyIP09Z.

mybox$ openssl passwd -salt gg foo
ggRhFaX7IcTzI

mybox$ openssl passwd -1 -salt gg foo
$1$gg$xsCQLUJWvoFgsdwBtypo.1

mybox$ openssl passwd -1 -salt ff foo
$1$ff$xvhiu9sQdaJZUFdJDyyg/1

thanks for your help

I know the linux passwd with that option will also change the passwd/shadow for you.

At least you found a solution that will work.

also, ferralis on the okc2600 board turned me on to
the perl crypt function which works even better, and
integrates more easily than calls to system progs.

looks like
$encryptedpass=crypt($salt,$plaintext);

That works but doesn't generate SHA1 or MD5 passwords that are used in the current linux shadow format or is seems for solaris.