RLG : Guide to User Management in Linux

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1. Adding Users

To add a new user, use the useradd command:

sudo useradd <username>

By default a primary private group with the same name is created to house the new user. That is, the newly created user Alice would be part of the Alice group.

To create a user and set their password:

sudo useradd <username>
sudo passwd <username>

2. Modifying Users

To modify an existing user, use the usermod command. For example, to change a user's home directory:

sudo usermod -d /new/home/directory <username>

To add a user to a group:

sudo usermod -aG <groupname> <username>

3. Deleting Users

To delete a user:

sudo userdel <username>

To delete a user and their home directory:

sudo userdel -r <username>

4. Viewing User Information

To view information about a user:

id <username>

To list all users:

cat /etc/passwd

5. Managing Groups

To create a new group:

sudo groupadd <groupname>

To delete a group:

sudo groupdel <groupname>

To view all groups:

group

6. Switching Users

To switch to another user:

su - <username> # - opens a log-in shell so /etc/profile and other config files are correctly loaded.

7. Locking and Unlocking Users

To lock a user account:

sudo usermod -L <username>

To unlock a user account:

sudo usermod -U <username>

8. Checking Login History

To view login history:

last

9. Managing Sudo Access

To give a user sudo privileges, add them to the sudo group:

sudo usermod -aG sudo <username>

10. Best Practices

• Regularly review user accounts and remove unused ones.
• Use strong passwords and enforce password policies.
• Limit sudo access to trusted users.

By mastering these commands and practices, you can effectively manage users in a Linux environment.

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