Directions For Changing Your Password on the Server

To change your password on the server, proceed as follows:

  1. Open a terminal window by clicking on the Terminal icon on the dock.






  2. Enter the following command at the prompt in the terminal window:

    ssh username@files.cs.gordon.edu
    (Where username is the user name for your server account)

  3. You will now see the following, in turn:
    username@files.cs.gordon.edu's password:
    -- Several lines of information about the server system
    Changing password for username.
    (Current) UNIX password:

  4. Enter your current server password at each of these first two prompts. The first time you are logging in to the server system; the second time you are validating your right to change your password. (The password will not be echoed either time). You will now be prompted for:

    Enter new UNIX password:

  5. Enter the new password you wish to use. It will not be echoed. You will now be prompted to enter your new password again, for verification:

    Retype new UNIX password:

  6. Enter your new password a second time. It will not be echoed. If everything was done correctly, you will see the following message:

    Password changed for user username

    Dealing With Problems

    The password changing process incorporates a number of checks and safeguards to prevent problems like a user changing someone else's password, or a typing mistake that results in your password being changed to something different than you thought it was. If one of these problems occurs, an appropriate error message will be displayed and you will either be given a chance to rectify the mistake, or (depending on the error) the whole password changing process will be aborted and you will need start over.

    Your password is not actually changed until you see the message Password changed for user username at the end of the process. If the process is aborted before this point, your original password is still in place, unmodified. If you still want to change it, you can start over from the beginning.

    Last revised: August 29, 2013