Change a User's Password in Linux Using passwd

How to Change a User’s Password Using `passwd`

Hey there! In this quick and friendly Linux tutorial, we’re going to learn how to change a user’s password using the passwd command. Whether you're a beginner exploring the Linux terminal for the first time, or you're managing users on your system, this command is simple but very powerful.

🔑 What is `passwd`?

passwd is a built-in Linux command used to change user passwords. You can use it to update your own password or change the password of another user (if you have sudo privileges).

🧪 Scenario 1: Change Your Own Password

If you're logged into your account and want to change your password, just run:

passwd

It will prompt you like this:

Current password:
New password:
Retype new password:

Once you successfully enter and confirm the new password, it will be updated.

🧑‍💼 Scenario 2: Change Another User's Password (As Admin)

Let’s say you're the admin and you want to change the password for a user named john. Here's what you do:

sudo passwd john

You’ll see a prompt like this:

Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully

Make sure you use a strong password and confirm it correctly.

📝 Pro Tip: Expire a Password to Force a Change

You can also expire a user's password so that they're forced to change it on next login:

sudo passwd --expire john

This is useful for setting temporary passwords or onboarding new users.

🙋‍♂️ Common Issues

If you get a “Permission denied” error, make sure you’re using sudo.
If password rules are strict, you may need to use a longer or more complex password.

✅ Recap

Here’s a quick summary:

passwd — change your own password
sudo passwd <username> — change someone else’s password
sudo passwd --expire <username> — force a user to change password at next login

And that’s it! You’ve learned how to use the passwd command like a Linux pro. 🎉

Try it out and see how easy it is to manage user passwords securely!