change home directory by modifying passwd

Shell Programming and Scripting
1

hi
How can I change the home directory of a user without using usermod -d command?
( by modifying /etc/passwd)

2

I must ask, is there a specific reason why you can't use the usermod command?

3

because this command is not working, someone made modification in kernel

4

I ran across this script with a simple google search for

awk -vold=$old_homedir_path -vnew=$new_homedir_path -F: '
BEGIN {OFS = ":"}
{sub(old,new,$6);print}' /etc/passwd > /etc/passwd.new

Oddly enough, there's no sed here :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

5

With sed it should be something like:

sed '/user/s!\(.*:\).*:\(.*\)!\1/newdir/name:\2!' /etc/passwd > /etc/passwd.new

Regards

6

the user will enter the username and then new home dir path, and I will change it according to these new variables.

echo "enter username to change homedir";

read username;

echo "enter new path for this user";

read pathh;

## Awk or sed command

I cannot be able to change the homedir of a user by using the above variables.
The posted awk and sed command is a little bit diifrent.

7

Just a head start:

awk -v user="user" -v path="new_path" 'BEGIN{FS=OFS=":"}$1==user{$6=new_path}1' /etc/passwd
8

I used your suggestion, but doesnt work:

echo "Enter username to change home directory:";
read username;
echo "Enter new home directory path:";
read new_path;

awk -v user=$username -v path=$new_path 'BEGIN{FS=OFS=":"}$1==user{$6=$new_path}1' /etc/passwd;;

9

Watch for typo and use a temp file to make the changes permanent.

10

it again doent work

11

Maybe if you can tell what shell are you scripting for?

echo $SHELL

and what part of your script is not working (Please post your script (copy/paste) and use the [code] tag's.), maybe we can help you.

12

danmero means 'doesn't work' is meaningless when it comes to getting it to work.

13

echo "Enter username to change home directory:";
read username;
echo "Enter new home directory path:";
read new_path;

awk -v user="$username" -v path="$new_path" 'BEGIN{FS=OFS=":"}$1==user{$6=$new_path}1' /etc/passwd;;

After I run above script, the home directory for the entered user doesnt change.
and also when I run the script entire /etc/passwd file is displayed.

The result of the echo $SHELL is:
/bin/bash

14

awk don't edit files "in place", use a temporary file:

#!bin/sh

echo -n "Enter username to change home directory: "
read username

echo -n "Enter new home directory path: "
read new_path

awk -v user="$username" -v path="$new_path" 'BEGIN{FS=OFS=":"}$1==user{$6=new_path}1' /etc/passwd > temp_file
mv temp_file /etc/passwd

You must have root permissions to run this script.

15

awk will not change your file, use a temporary file for that

awk -v user="$username" -v path="$new_path" 'BEGIN{FS=OFS=":"}$1==user{$6=$new_path}1' /etc/passwd > /etc/passwd.new && mv /etc/passwd.new /etc/passwd;;
16

useradd temp

cat /etc/ passwd
temp:x:502:505::/home/temp:/bin/bash

After I run the script with the following variables:
username: temp
new_path: /home/temp

cat /etc/passwd
temp:x:502:505::temp:x:502:505:::/bin/bash

I think there is something wrong with the script.
also, home directory should be /home/temp

17 
username=temp
new_path=/home/temp
18

yea
I tried with those variables:
username=temp
new_path=/home/temp

but not correctly working