linuxexpert-practice-labs/labs/rhcsa/9-2-passwords-and-aging

RHCSA 9.2: Passwords and password aging

Setting a password that must be changed, the default password lifetime for new users, and account expiry.

Before you start

The lab creates user dave (password Lab-Pass-1), and notes /etc/login.defs so reset can put it back.

Tasks

1. Give user dave the password Secret-2026 and make him change it at the next login.
2. Make passwords of users created from now on expire after 90 days, without changing existing users.
3. Make dave's account expire on 31 December 2027, with a 14-day warning before his password expires.

Hints

• passwd dave (or chpasswd), chage -d 0 (or passwd -e); chage -l dave; su - dave from a normal user asks for a new password.
• PASS_MAX_DAYS in /etc/login.defs; create a test user and run chage -l on it, then remove it.
• chage -E 2027-12-31 -W 14 dave.