[BlueOnyx:09924] Re: Importing users that have DES passwords

[Michael Stauber]

Hi Ernie,

> I have about 350 users that I want to import into a virtual site, that have
> come from an old FreeBSD server that was using DES56 passwords not MD5. Is
> there anyway of converting their passwords to MD5 or failing that can DES56
> passwords be supported on a BX server?

I think a conversion from DES56 to MD5 isn't possible. At least not in an easy 
fashion. I could be wrong on that, but I doubt it.

DES56 shouldn't be used anymore these days, as it only allows for a maximum 
password length of 8 characters. 

Switching BlueOnyx to DES56 is also not trivial. Even if DES56 is (still) 
supported by the OS, too many bits and pices in the GUI dealing with user 
management or CMU just assume MD5. So it would require a lot of changes and 
would lover overall security and maintainability.

It may be easier to create a tab delimited list of usernames and new random 
passwords. Email the new passwords to the users prior to the migration with 
enough advanced notice. Then on the day of the move, just run a script that 
walks through your list and sets the pre-made random passwords for each user.

-- 
With best regards

Michael Stauber