• Change / Reset linux password (online service). Can only be done from a Vassar network. This web UI will not work from a network (or cell phone carrier) outside of the Vassar College network.

Computer Science linux accounts conform to CIS's password policy:

• Password Information from Vassar College CIS

A strong password contains:

• at least 16 characters
• a mix of letters, numbers and special characters
• mIxED caSE

Creating:

• http://strongpasswordgenerator.com
• pwgen on the Linux command line
  • pwgen 16 1 to create one 16-character password; see man pwgen for help

Changing your password occasionally is a good practice and is something that is enforced in many environments.

Two ways to change password:

• enter passwd on the linux cmd line in a terminal window

Note: When you type your characters are not echoed back to the terminal. You will see nothing, not even a cursor. The entire session, if completed successfully, will look as follows:

• double click “Change Password” on the Desktop (padlock)

NOTE: The latest MATE update to Ubuntu did away with that padlock. There is a user account tool that can be used to change your password but do not depend upon that to work. The command line is always your best option.