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sync-accounts(8)


NAME

   sync-accounts - synchronise accounts and passwords

SYNOPSIS

   sync-accounts [options] [source ...]

DESCRIPTION

   sync-accounts  is a tool for copying account information into the local
   system's password  and  group  databases,  or  equivalent,  from  other
   systems.   It  can be used to slave individual accounts, whole systems,
   or various partial combinations.

   By default, when invoked, sync-accounts reads is configuration file and
   updates  all of the local details it is configured to synchronise, from
   all relevant sources.

   If one or more  sources  are  named  as  command-line  arguments,  only
   information from those sources is installed locally.

   See  sync-accounts(5)  for  detailed  information about sync-accounts's
   behaviour and configuration.

OPTIONS

   -Cconfig-file
          Reads config-file instead of /etc/sync-accounts.

   -q     Instead of updating local information, sync-accounts displays  a
          summary  of  which  accounts  are  synchronised or not, and from
          where.

   -n     Causes sync-accounts not to actually install the new information
          in  the  local  password  and group databases.  Instead, updated
          versions are written to  the  files  passwd  and  group  in  the
          current directory.  With -n new accounts are not created at all.
          The system databases are not locked.

SECURITY

   sync-accounts is not resistant to malicious data in the local  password
   and  group  databases,  or  its  configuration  file  or  command  line
   arguments.

   Malicious data in source information will not be able to  take  control
   of  sync-accounts,  but  will be copied to the local databases if sync-
   accounts is configured to do so.

   To update the local databases, sync-accounts must be run as root.   For
   -q  and  -n  sync-accounts still needs to be able to successfuly invoke
   the commands specified in the configuration for getpasswd and getgroup.

EXIT STATUS

   0      All went well and there were no warnings.

   any other
          There were problems.  The local databases may or  may  not  have
          been updated.

FILES

   /etc/sync-accounts
          Default configuration file.  (Override with -C.)

   sync-accounts-createuser
          Default command invoked by sync-accounts to create local users.

   /home  Default location for created users' home directories.

   /bin/sh
          Default shell for created users.

   /etc/passwd, /etc/group, /etc/shadow, /etc/master.passwd
          Local account databases, depending on configuration.

   /etc/shadow-non-existent
          Must not exist.

ENVIRONMENT

   EDITOR, VISUAL
          Manipulated  by  sync-ccounts  when  it is reinvoking itself via
          vipw or  vigr,  according  to  lockpasswd  runvia  or  lockgroup
          runvia.

   SYNC_ACCOUNTS_*
          Used  by  sync-accounts  for its own purposes.  Do not set these
          variables.

   Setting variables used  by  vipw(8)  and  vigr(8),  apart  from  EDITOR
   and/orVISUAL will affect the operation of sync-accounts.  Avoid messing
   with these if possible.

   PATH is used to find subprograms such as  sync-accounts-createuser  and
   vipw/vigr.

BUGS

   Using  sync-accounts  does  not give particularly prompt propagation of
   changed account information.

   There is no  simple  mechanism  for  automatically  getting  the  right
   configuration  details  for  accessing  the local system's password and
   group databases.

   All the systems sharing account information using sync-accounts need to
   be using compatible encrypted-password schemes.

AUTHOR

   sync-accounts  and  this  manpage are part of the sync-accounts package
   which was written by Ian  Jackson  <ian@chiark.greenend.org.uk>.   They
   are         Copyright         1999-2000,2002         Ian        Jackson
   <ian@davenant.greenend.org.uk>,   and   Copyright   2000-2001   nCipher
   Corporation Ltd.

   The  sync-accounts  package  is  free software; you can redistribute it
   and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public  License  as
   published  by  the  Free  Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at
   your option) any later version.

   This is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
   WARRANTY;  without  even  the  implied  warranty  of MERCHANTABILITY or
   FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General  Public  License
   for more details.

   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
   with this program; if  not,  consult  the  Free  Software  Foundation's
   website at www.fsf.org, or the GNU Project website at www.gnu.org.

SEE ALSO

   sync-accounts(5),     grab-account(8),     sync-accounts-createuser(8),
   passwd(5), group(5), shadow(5), master.passwd(5), vipw(8), vigr(8)



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