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| | To disable a user account, edit, as root, the
``/etc/shadow'' file (assuming
you're using shadow passwords; if not, edit the
``/etc/passwd'' file instead),
and replace the password (which is stored in its encrypted form) with a
``*'' asterisk character. All Unix passwords, regardless of length (up
to a maximum of 8 characters), are stored in the password file as
encrypted strings of 13 characters. Therefore, by replacing the password
with a single ``*'' character, it is impossible for the user to sign
in. ![Note](../../images/note.gif) | Note: This method will require you to assign a new password to
the user if you re-enable the account, since the encrypted password field
will have been replaced. One solution to this which seems to be popular
among system administrators is to simply prefix the ``*'' asterisk
character in front of the encrypted password to disable the account, and
simply removing the asterisk to enable it. |
For more information on the
``/etc/passwd'' and
``/etc/shadow'' files, see the section called Linux Password & Shadow File Formats below. |