Begin of quotation of someone named perarve@hotmail.com (Per Arve):

> >
> > There are, unfortunately, a bunch of ways to change passwords under
> > Linux systems. Enforcing this kind of rule would have to be implemented
> > with a tool that they are *forced* to use.
> >
> > Hmm. Are you in a shared environment where you can publish passwords
> > from a central server that forces the use of a specific tool, such as
> > NIS or LDAP with a web client?
>
> The systems are supposed to be standalone systems, NIS or LDAP can't be used.


Yank the source of /usr/bin/passwd, define your input-checks, re-compile en
put it back in the system.

Or
rename passwd > passwd-2, write a wrapper (name it login for obvious
reasons) that checks the input and passes on it to login-2.

Or
Find a suitable tool on Sourceforge or from an commercial vendor.

Or
Since you use Red-Hat, it allreade uses PAM to wrap logins,
so configure PAM to your linkings.


cor


--
Operatingsystem is just a name you gave to the rest of those idiosyncratic
machine-related features you left out of your editor.
Computers are so dumb, only 10 Genius + 10 Madman Grok it, I'm all four.
(setq reply-to(concatenate 'string "Cor Gest ""<cor" '(#\@) "clsnet.nl>"))