tlug: Changing username

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

>>>>> "Darren" == Darren Cook <darren@example.com> writes:

    Darren> Can I just change the first field of /etc/passwd, and
    Darren> change the name of her /var/mail file? Or do I have to get
    Darren> into messing with the shadow password files as well?

I don't know, but for the sake of human readability you presumably
want to fix the shadow password file as well.

You also may have to fix the /etc/group and /etc/gshadow files
(probably not, though).  You know your business better than I do, but
are you sure there isn't other stuff, such as a Web page or billing
information (! wow, a free account, and all I had to do was ask for
the wrong name the first time around!), that is keyed on username?

Does "fred" really care that much about the user name?  Would a simple
mail alias of "bob", changing what the world thinks is her name, do?
Or do you really want the "fred" username back so you can sell it to
someone else?

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