Reset Your Password
- 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.
Create a Password
Computer Science linux accounts conform to CIS's password policy:
A strong password contains:
- at least 16 characters
- a mix of letters, numbers and special characters
- mIxED caSE
Creating:
- pwgen on the Linux command line
- pwgen 16 1 to create one 16-character password; see man pwgen for help
Changing Your Password
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.