We all know the role of a password in protecting your digital privacy. Having a strong password is the first layer of defense that prevents intruders from entering your system. Therefore, safeguarding your computer with a password should be of prime concern to everyone.
Unix-based operating systems offer robust features when it comes to the password and security of a user. But how do you utilize these advanced features in order to secure your system?
Unix vs. Linux
Many people get confused when someone uses the terms Unix and Linux in a similar context. It doesn't matter if you're changing passwords on Linux or Unix, the steps are the same. Although these two operating systems have a similar type of architecture and command structure, they are far different from each other in reality.
Unix is an operating system developed in the late 1960s by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie. It was primarily built for portability, multi-threading, and quick modifications. Unlike Linux, Unix is proprietary software that is known for its powerful command-line interface.
On the other hand, Linux is a family of open-source "Unix-like" operating systems. Linus Torvalds developed this operating system in 1991. It is termed under Unix-like OSes because Linux was heavily inspired by Unix. More than 600 community-driven Linux distributions are available on the internet for free.
Changing Own Password on Unix
On most Unix-based systems, users can change the passwords with the passwd command. To change your own password on Unix, open up your terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T. Then, to change your password, enter:
passwdYou'll see an output that looks something like this. First, type in the current password and then enter your new password twice to complete the process.
(current) UNIX password:
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfullyYou will not see any of the typed characters on your screen. Unix-based OSes have this unique way of protecting users from shoulder-surfing.
Changing Root Password
Only a root user can change the root password on a Unix machine. To change your current user to root, type su - in your terminal and press Enter. Then, enter the root password to confirm the process.
Now that you are root, you can easily change your password by typing passwd in your terminal.
Changing Other User's Password
Root users have the authorization to change the passwords of other users on the system as well. To do it, open up your terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T. Then, change the password with:
passwd username
You will see the following output on your system display. Enter the new password twice to confirm the change.
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfullyManaging User Passwords on Unix
Unix users can easily change their passwords using the passwd command. To learn more about passwd, you can check the command manual:
man passwdLinux and Unix might have a few similarities when it comes to system commands, but they are two distinct operating systems in a lot of other aspects.
