--- loncom/pwchange	2002/09/19 02:02:59	1.8
+++ loncom/pwchange	2009/07/17 02:20:59	1.10
@@ -5,12 +5,11 @@
 # pwchange - setuid script to change unix passwords
 #
 # YEAR=2001
-# 10/23,11/13,11/15 Scott Harrison
 #
 # YEAR=2002
 # 02/19 Matthew Hall
 #
-# $Id: pwchange,v 1.8 2002/09/19 02:02:59 foxr Exp $
+# $Id: pwchange,v 1.10 2009/07/17 02:20:59 raeburn Exp $
 ###
 
 use strict;
@@ -53,10 +52,20 @@ foreach (split(//,$pword)) {if ((ord($_)
 exit 3 if $pbad;
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------- Call system command
-open OUT,"|passwd --stdin $safe >/dev/null";
-print OUT $pword;
-print OUT "\n";
-close OUT;
+my $distro;
+if (open(PIPE,"perl distprobe|")) {
+    $distro = <PIPE>;
+    close(PIPE);
+}
+if ($distro =~ /^ubuntu|debian/) {
+    open(OUT,"|/usr/sbin/usermod -p `mkpasswd $pword` $safe");
+    close(OUT);
+} else {
+    open(OUT,"|passwd --stdin $safe >/dev/null");
+    print OUT $pword;
+    print OUT "\n";
+    close(OUT);
+}
 
 # --------------------------------------- exit with status of command execution
 exit $?/256;