PtyS/LPL Central Computing Systems (LCS)

	Department of Planetary Sciences Lunar and Planetary Laboratory

	LPL Central Computing Systems (LCS)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Computer Accounts

Who may obtain an LPL computer account?

All employees & students at LPL as well as others affiliated with LPL programs may use LCS resources.

How do I obtain a computer account?

To obtain an LPL computer account, send email to sys or come by SS-201.

How do I change my LPL password?

Before changing your password, think of a good password.
A good password is at least 8 characters long, containing a mix of:

Lowercase letters [a-z]
Uppercase letters [A-Z]
Numerals [0-9]
Non-alphanumeric characters (!@#$%^&*()_+|~{}[]:";'<>,.?/)

A bad password is:

A word that is found in a dictionary (regardless of language).
Your birthday, phone number, address, license plate, relative's name, etc.
Identical to your computer id or your name.
Words or names from Sci-Fi or fantasy books or movies.

To change your LPL password:

1. Login via Secure Shell to hindmost.lpl.arizona.edu .
2. Type "passwd" (no quotes).
3. Enter your current password.
4. Enter your new password.
5. Re-enter your new password.

Here is a sample interaction for user cleo:

% passwd
passwd:  Changing password for cleo
Enter login(NIS+) password: ********
New password: ********
Re-enter new password: ********
NIS+ password information changed for cleo
NIS+ credential information changed for cleo

I get "Permission denied" when trying to change my UNIX password. What should I do?

At the UNIX command prompt on one of the LPL Solaris machines, type the "chkey" command:

% chkey

Then enter your current password when prompted.
After running this command, you will be able to change your password with the passwd command.

I forgot my LPL password. What do I do?

Contact LCS Support to have your password reset: LPL Central Computing Systems Support
After it is reset, LCS staff will call you, tell you the new password, and ask you to change it to a password that only you know.

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LPL Central Computing Systems (LCS)