Passwords
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Account Passwords
Your account password protects your access to most OCF services. If you have enabled database access for your account, access to your database will be protected by a separate password.
Changing Your Password
To change your password, log in to ocf.berkeley.edu via SSH and run the passwd command.
You will be prompted for your old password and your new password. No asterisks or other characters will appear as you type your passwords, and you may terminate input by pressing Return.
Resetting Your Password
In Person
If you have forgotten your password, you will usually need to see a staff member in person to get it reset. Remember to bring your student/photo ID, or enrollment/employment confirmation as applicable. If it is a group account, make sure that the person coming in to reset the password brings sufficient document to prove that he or she is authorized to reset password. If he or she is not listed as contact person on our records (SSH to ocf.berkeley.edu and type less ~staff/Group_Accounts to check our records.), he or she should bring a copy of OSL registration form that lists him or her as a signatory, or bring a signed letter from a signatory that he or she is authorized to reset the password in addition to the OSL registration form that lists the signatory's name. See the staff hours page for times when staff will be available, or for details on making an appointment.
NOTE: Only the staff members with (P) or (*) next to their name can reset passwords.
Via Postal Mail
If you cannot see a staff member in person, you may reset your password via postal mail. For security purposes, please include the following with your request:
- a notarized copy of your student ID
- a second piece of supporting ID
- a signed statement to the effect of: "I, John Doe, authorize Open Computing Facility staff to reset my password. Enclosed is a copy of my ID."
- the requested new temporary password, which should be 8 characters or longer, not based on dictionary words, and preferably includes at least one letter from each of the following character classes:
- lowercase letters
- uppercase letters
- numbers
- other symbols (eg. [], {}, !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, ())
- contact information so that we can notify you when your password change has been processed
Mail your password change request to OCF's mailbox in Eshleman.
If you no longer have your student ID (because you have graduated, etc.) you can substitute it with another government-issued ID.
Once your password is changed, we STRONGLY encourage you to log in and change it again yourself at once, so that you can be sure that no one else knows it.
Database Passwords
Database passwords are independent of the account password and are randomly generated. Please see our database support page for more information.
Compromised Passwords
If the OCF believes that your account password has been compromised or that someone unauthorized has been accessing your account, we will deactivate your account immediately.
To reactivate your account, you will need to see a root staff member. See the staff hours page for times when root staff members will be available, and note that root staff members are marked with (*) on the staff hours page.
