CentOS - Jun 2006 - Enabling MD5 (longer passwords) after installation?

I have noticed on a Centos 4.3 server where I had set some >8
characters passwords for some accounts, that only the first 8
characters are needed (if I forget or mistype the others I login
all the same). 

Can I "move" the live, running system to longer passwords, and how?
or is a reinstall necessary?

TIA,
	Marco


-- 
Marco Fioretti                    mfioretti, at the server mclink.it
Fedora Core 3 for low memory      http://www.rule-project.org/

Man becomes truly man only by passing beyond himself.
				   Paul VI,    POPULORUM PROGRESSIO

> Can I "move" the live, running system to longer passwords, and
how?
> or is a reinstall necessary?
You want to use pwconv and grpconv to swap your /etc/passwd and 
/etc/group files to using shadow files.  Run "authconfig" and make
sure
you have selected to use md5 and shadow passwords first.

You can run pwconv/grpconv even if the files have already been converted.

j