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LaTerral Williams
LaTerral Williams

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🧑‍💻User Account Management in Linux... The Cool Way to Add, Switch, and Delete Users

#cloudwhistler #linux #cloud #opensource

So, you just spun up a Linux machine (maybe on a VM or in the cloud), and now you want to act like a sysadmin.

Oh just me? Well, I'm here to humble us both because there's a long road ahead...

Still, one of the first things you'll need to know is how to manage users like a pro.

Let's dive into some essential commands: useradd, passwd, su, and userdel.

Think of these commands as your User Control Panel ... but Super Powered, no need for that GUI stuff. 😎

📚 Table of Contents

🔧 useradd – Create New Users

useradd is like the “Create Account” option in Windows, but with style.

Basic Syntax: 

sudo useradd [options] username
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Common Options:

Option What it does
-m Create the user’s home directory
-d /custom/home Set a custom home directory
-s /bin/bash Set the user’s default shell
-u UID Assign a specific user ID
-g groupname Set the user’s primary group
-G group1,group2 Add the user to supplementary groups
-e YYYY-MM-DD Set account expiration date
-c "Comment" Add a user description

Example: 

sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash -c "Web Developer" alice
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🔐 passwd – Set or Change User Passwords

Syntax: 

sudo passwd username
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Example: 

sudo passwd alice
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🔁 su – Switch User

Syntax: 

su - username
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Example: 

su - alice
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📝 Note: You can use sudo su - to become root, but tread carefully, with great power comes great responsibility... though let’s be real, Peter Parker probably isn't reading this, 🕷️ So maybe just steer clear unless you really know what you're doing!

🧨 userdel – Delete Users

Syntax: 

sudo userdel [options] username
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Common Options:

Option What it does
-r Remove the user’s home directory and mail spool

Example: 

sudo userdel -r alice
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🧠 Pro Tips

  • Want to see all user and system accounts? 
  cat /etc/passwd
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  • Want to check details for a specific user? 
  grep <username> /etc/passwd
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  • Want to see what groups a specific user belongs to? 
  groups <username>
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  • Want to check group membership or definitions? 
  cat /etc/group
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  • Or filter for a specific group: 
  grep <groupname> /etc/group
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  • Need to modify an existing user (like changing their shell or adding them to groups)? 
  sudo usermod [options] username
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📝 Note: usermod is a powerful command with lots of options, enough to deserve its own article! From changing usernames to assigning new shells or managing group memberships, it’s a whole-nother rabbit hole. Stay tuned, maybe I'll cover that later.

🪟 Quick Windows Comparison

Windows Action Linux Command
Add a new user (GUI) useradd -m username
Change password (Ctrl+Alt+Del) passwd username
Switch user (Start > Switch user) su - username
Delete user userdel -r username

🏁 Wrapping Up

That’s your crash course on user management! Whether you're building out a secure dev server or managing a personal VM, these commands are must-know tools in your Linux toolkit.

Have fun managing users responsibly. 😄

💬 Let’s Connect

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ltwilliams-tech/

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