update-cracklib(8)

💖 update-cracklib(8) 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because we're talking about update-cracklib — that's the update-cracklib manual page from the System Manager's Manual, and it's lowkey the backbone of your whole password-vibes situation. sit down, sip your matcha, let's go ✨

🦋 NAME 🦋

update-cracklib — regenerate the cracklib dictionary, periodt.

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

update-cracklib

that's it. no flags. no arguments. she just goes. iconic behaviour honestly 💅

👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

so here's the tea: update-cracklib builds a compressed and accumulated version of the wordlists that live in the directories listed in cracklib's config file, /etc/cracklib/cracklib.conf. think of it like packing your entire wardrobe into one of those vacuum-seal bags — same clothes, way less space 🎀

and here's the part that actually matters: programs using cracklib2 need this database to be of any use. no database, no function. it's giving "no thoughts, head empty" and we simply cannot have that 😭

by default, this script gets called by cron every single day. she's consistent. she's reliable. she shows up. main character energy fr fr 🔥

✨ RESULT ✨

when update-cracklib runs, it prints out two numbers:

1. the number of words read from the ASCII dictionaries
2. the number of words eventually written into the cracklib database

and bestie, if no error occurred, these should be equal. same number twice = we ate 💖 if they don't match, something's up and you should look at it. no cap.

as for the exit status:

• 0 is returned on success 🫶
• otherwise, an error message is printed to standard error and -1 is returned 💀

so like, check that second number, okay? the vibe check is literally built into the output.

🎀 FILES 🎀

• /etc/cracklib/cracklib.conf — a shell script that sets cracklib_dictpath_src, which must be a space separated list of source dictionary files. space separated, babe. spaces. not commas, not vibes, not whatever your notes app autocorrected it to 🌸

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• cracklib(3)
• crack_mkdict(8)

go read those too, iykyk 🦋

💜 AUTHOR 💜

this program and this manual page were written by Martin Pitt <martin@piware.de> for the Debian GNU/Linux System — but may be used by others. generous king behaviour honestly 👑

and that's the whole page, bestie!! this one's from June 09, 2003, written by Martin Pitt, and it ships with the System Manager's Manual. love that for us. mwah 💅✨🍓