SQL*Plus PASSWORD Command

Most of you will know how to use the ALTER USER command to change your password:

SQL> conn system/manager1@test10
Connected.
SQL> alter user system identified by manager2;
User altered.
SQL> conn system/manager2@test10
Connected.
SQL>

But SQL*Plus also has a PASSWORD command which allows you to do the same thing. In the example below, the user tries it out. Oracle asks for the old password then asks for the new password twice. Neither the old nor the new password are displayed on the screen:

SQL> password
Changing password for SYSTEM
Old password: ********
New password: ********
Retype new password: ********
Password changed
SQL> conn system/manager3@test10
Connected.
SQL>

An administrator can use the PASSWORD command to change another user's password. In this case, Oracle does not ask for the old password. The example below is from Oracle 11g release 2:

SQL> conn / as sysdba

Connected.

SQL> show user

USER is "SYS"

SQL> password andrew

Changing password for andrew

New password:

Retype new password:

Password changed

SQL>