ckpasswd -f database creation utility?

[David Sargeant]

I've looked in the archives, but haven't seen the answer to my question
... I've just upgraded my local-only news server to INN 2.3.0 from 2.2
(running on a Red Hat 6.2 Linux server), and now have to change my
nnrp.access security over to readers.conf.  I'm having a lot of problems
with that, but my first question is, what utility (or utilities) do I use
to create encrypted passwords for the passwords file that ckpasswd -f
seems to want, and where can I get the utility(s)?  I have two
requirements, first batch converting all the existing users in the
nnrp.access file, then adding users on the fly from an automatic utility
-- i.e., one that takes a username and password as input (probably from a
web form) and runs the program to add that username and encrypted password
to the news user password file.  Oh, and I want to use a separate password
file (possibly several separate password files) from the system passwd and
shadow files, since my news server users don't correspond at all to my
system users.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.