PW_LOCK(3)                OpenBSD Programmer's Manual               PW_LOCK(3)

NAME
     pw_lock, pw_mkdb, pw_abort - passwd file update functions

SYNOPSIS
     #include <util.h>

     int
     pw_lock(int retries);

     int
     pw_mkdb(char *username, int pwflags);

     void
     pw_abort();

DESCRIPTION
     The pw_lock(), pw_mkdb(), and pw_abort() functions allow a program to up-
     date the system passwd database.

     The pw_lock() function attempts to lock the passwd database by creating
     the file /etc/ptmp, and returns the file descriptor of that file.  If
     retries is greater than zero, pw_lock() will try multiple times to open
     /etc/ptmp, waiting one second between tries.  In addition to being a lock
     file, /etc/ptmp will also hold the contents of the new passwd file.

     The pw_mkdb() function updates the passwd file from the contents of
     /etc/ptmp via pwd_mkdb(8).  If a username is specified, only the record
     for the specified user will be updated.  The pwflags are specified by
     OR'ing the following values:

         _PASSWORD_SECUREONLY  only update the secure database file
                               (/etc/spwd.db).
         _PASSWORD_OMITV7      do not update the Version 7 format password
                               file (/etc/passwd).

     By default the secure, insecure and Version 7 format password databases
     are updated.  You should finish writing to and close the file descriptor
     returned by pw_lock() before calling pw_mkdb().  If pw_mkdb() fails and
     you do not wish to retry, you should make sure to call pw_abort() to
     clean up the lock file.

     The pw_abort() function aborts a passwd file update by deleting
     /etc/ptmp.  The passwd database remains unchanged.

RETURN VALUES
     The pw_lock() and pw_mkdb() functions return -1 if they are unable to
     complete properly.

FILES
     /etc/master.passwd  current password file
     /etc/ptmp           password lock file
     /etc/passwd         a Version 7 format password file
     /etc/pwd.db         insecure password database file
     /etc/spwd.db        secure password database file

SEE ALSO
     flock(2), pw_init(3), pwd_mkdb(8)

OpenBSD 4.0                     August 20, 2001                              1
