First time log-in (password change)
To get access to a NIKHEF computer system one has to authenticate oneself with a login name and a password.
Unix and Windows system have separated user administrations. It is up to the user to use different password on both accounts. The account names, however, are kept the same by the system administrators.
When one is assigned a computer account, an initial password is assigned to it.
On Windows system the user is automatically directed to a "change-your-password" session on the first log-in.
On Unix accounts the user is expected to change the password within a short time after first log-in. This is done with the yppasswd command.
This command will first ask for the present password. If this is the first log-in session, the system administrator will enter it.
Next the system will ask for a new password. After this has been entered, the system will ask the password again for confirmation.
Here is an example of a password change session:
[newuser@eomer ~]$yppasswdChanging NIS account information for newuser on ajax.Please enter old password:♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦Changing NIS password for newuser on ajax.Please enter new password:♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦Please retype new password:♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦The NIS password has been changed on ajax.
The system will test the new password to see if it complies with security standards.
The following examples show possible system answers when passwords fail this test:
BAD PASSWORD: is too similar to the old one
BAD PASSWORD: it's WAY too short
BAD PASSWORD: it is too simplistic/systematic
Passwords for Windows systems can be changed by using the change password button in the window that appears when one uses the ctr-alt-del key combination.