is it possible to do a single password command in linux like in unix echo password | passwd username --stdin I tried compiling expect but it didn't like that to much. does anyone know of a way to do this John --slackware 8.1

Hi John. You can get the latest version of expect and tcl/tk in a ready to install package at www.activestate.com. Very simple. Just uninstall your old tcl/tk/expect junk first to save yourself some hassle. #!/usr/bin/expect set pprpmt ".*asswor.*" set user [lindex $argv 0] proc newpass {} { puts -nonewline stdout "New Password: " flush stdout stty -echo if {![catch {set p [gets stdin]}]} { stty echo return $p } return 1 } spawn passwd $user set id $spawn_id expect { -re "$pprmpt" { set pass [newpass] send "$pass\r" expect { -re "$pprmpt" { send "$pass\r" catch {unset pass} } eof { send_user "All done\n" exit } } } } call like: newpass.exp $username HTH