UNIX Password change from Windows.

Greetings, Since Informix for UNIX utilizes the UNIX password verificiation as user id authentication, we are having difficulty providing an interface to Windows only (i.e., non-UNIX) Informix users to change their own "Database" passwords. We want to avoid presenting a terminal session (i.e., just to run the "passwd" command). Questions: 1. Does anyone have an idea for a New Era or Visual Basic interface to UNIX passwd? 2. Any alternatives? 3. Is there any UNIX API to the "passwd" function? -- I suppose I could just write directly to the "passwd / shadow" file (as suid root), but what is the "crypt" key?!!? Thanks for your consideration. ...Terry tgauch@aol.com