I tried running the code in a terminal (as root), and it works. I'll have to try it in an install.
Here's the code for that window with the output of my 20-character password entry.
~# pass_entry=$(yad --form --title=$"Configure $pass_dialog password" --center --borders=10 --button=$"OK":0 \
--text=$"You should reset the $pass_dialog password.\nUse TAB to change fields." \
--field=$"Enter new $pass_dialog password::H" \
--field=$"Confirm new $pass_dialog password::H" \
--field=$"Use current password\? (not recommended)":CHK \
"$field_four")
12345678901234567890|12345678901234567890|FALSE|
Trim the output, check it and feed it into the passwd command, and it works.
newpass=$(echo $pass_entry|awk -F "|" '{print $1}')
echo $newpass
12345678901234567890
/bin/bash -c "echo -e \"$newpass\n$newpass\n\" | passwd $newusername"
New password: Retype new password: passwd: password updated successfully
apparently so
so here we are. installed a thgird time with an 8 digit password and changed it after first boot to what i want it to be
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