[K12OSN] finding user passwords

[Jim Hays]

Quoting Gary Frederick <gary.frederick at jsoft.com>:

> Howdy,
> 
> Would it be better to just change the password as root?
> 
> I would not be comfortable with cracking someone's password.
> 
> Gary

I would not try to crack the password.  I would resest the password to a default.

A better question is "Why do the teachers need to know the password?".  Give the
teachers rights to student folders.  This eliminates the teacher's need to know
the password, unless, of course, the teacher is on a power trip and wants to
control everything.  The only reason that I can see for a teacher needing to
know the passwords would be for very young students where you expect the
students to forget passwords and have login problems.  There are other ways to
solve this that to have a manufactured fight between teacher and student.

Reset the password.  Tell the student that he/she needs to share his/her
password with the teacher if asked.

The problem here seems to run much deeper that a technology issue.  Technology
can't solve problems of insubordination, power plays, etc.  

If you want, you can take the previous suggestion of changing permission
settings on passwd and not allowing students to change passwords, but this can
be handled at the policy level by implementing a school policy that students
must share passwords with teachers if asked.  (If that is a direction your
school wants to go.)

Too often we try to come up with technological solutions for social problems.  I
do not view a student not being willing to share a password with a teacher as a
technological problem.  This is a student who is being insubordinate.  Steps
need to be taken outside the realm of technology to deal with this.  

If you don't have a policy regarding student passwords and teacher's access to
student folders, you shoule write one and get it approved quickly.

-----------------------------------------
Jim Hays
Technology Director
Monticello CUSD#25
Monticello, IL  61856
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