Command Reference Guide

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STANDARD Printed by: Nora Chuang [nchuang] STANDARD
/build/1111/BRICK/man1/!!!intro.1
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c
chfn(1) chfn(1)
NAME
chfn - change user information; used by finger
SYNOPSIS
chfn [login-name]
chfn -r files [login-name]
chfn -r nis [login-name]
chfn -r nisplus [login-name]
chfn -r dce [login-name]
DESCRIPTION
The chfn command changes the user information that is stored in the repository for the current
logged-in user or for the user specified by login-name (see passwd(1)).
The information is organized as four comma-separated subfields within the reserved (5th) field of the pass-
word file entry. It consists of the user’s full name, location code, office phone number, and home phone
number, in that order. This information is used by the
finger command and other programs (see
finger(1)).
chfn prompts you for each subfield. The prompt includes a default value, which is enclosed in brackets.
Accept the default value by pressing the Return key. To enter a blank subfield, type the word
none.
The DCE repository (
-r dce) is only available if Integrated Login has been configured, see auth.adm(1M).
If Integrated Login has been configured, other considerations apply. A user with appropriate DCE
privileges is capable of modifying a user’s finger (gecos) information; this is not dependent upon superuser
privileges.
If the repository is not specified; i.e.,
chfn [login-name], the finger information is changed in the passwd
file only.
Run finger after running chfn to make sure the information was processed correctly.
Options
The following option is recognized:
-r Specify the repository to which the operation is to be applied. Supported repositories
include files, nis, nisplus, and dce.
Subfield Values
Name Up to 1022 printing characters.
The finger command and other utilities expand an & found anywhere in this
subfield by substituting the login name for it and shifting the first letter of the
login name to uppercase. (chfn does not alter the input &.)
Location Up to 1022 printing characters.
Office Phone Up to 25 printing characters.
finger inserts appropriate hyphens if the value is all digits.
Home Phone Up to 25 printing characters.
finger inserts appropriate hyphens if the value is all digits.
Security Restrictions
You must have appropriate privileges to use the optional login-name argument to change another user’s
information.
EXAMPLES
The following is a sample run. The user’s input is shown in regular type.
Name [Tracy Simmons]:
Location (Ex: 47U-P5) []:
42L-P1
Office Phone (Ex: 1632) [77777]: 71863
Home Phone (Ex: 9875432) [4085551546]:
none
HP-UX Release 11i: December 2000 − 1 − Section 1−−81
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