Linux User Commands Tutorial: Administration & Management

As Linux is a multi-user operating system, there is a high need of an administrator, who can manage user accounts, their rights, and the overall system security for User management in Linux.

You should know the basics of Linux admin so that you can handle the user accounts and usergroups for user management in Linux.

Creating a User

In Linux, every user is assigned an individual account which contains all the files, information, and data of the user. You can create multiple users in a Linux operating system using Linux user commands. Next in this Linux admin tutorial, we will learn how to create a user in Linux Administration. The steps for creating a user are:

Using Terminal

Step 1) Use command sudo adduser

Creating a User Using Terminal

Step 2) Enter password for the new account and confirm

Creating a User Using Terminal

Step 3) Enter details of the new user and press Y

Creating a User Using Terminal

New account is created.

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Using GUI

Step 1) Go to the system settings look for an icon which says ‘User Accounts’.

Creating a User Using GUI

Step 2) Click on the unlock icon and enter a password when prompted, then click the plus sign.

Creating a User Using GUI

Step 3) A new window would pop up, asking you for adding information to the new user account.The account type offers two choices – standard and administration(Ubuntu Limitation). If you want the new user to have administrative access to the computer, select Administrator as the account type. Administrators can do things like add and delete users, install software and drivers, and change the date and time. Otherwise, choose standard.Fill in the full name, username and click on create.

Creating a User Using GUI

Step 4) The new account would show, but would be disabled by default.

Creating a User Using GUI

To activate it, click the password option and add a new password. Click change to enable the account.

Creating a User Using GUI

Deleting, disabling account

Terminal

For disabling an account using Terminal, remove the password set on the account.

sudo passwd -l 'username'

Deleting, disabling account using terminal

To delete an account, use the command –

sudo userdel -r 'username'

Deleting, disabling account using terminal

GUI

Step 1) Highlight the user account and click the minus sign to delete.

Deleting, disabling account using GUI

Step 2) For disabling click on the area where the password is stored, and you would get the following prompt. Select disable this account and click on change.

Deleting, disabling account using GUI

Adding users to the usergroups

You can view the existing groups on your Linux operating system by entering the following Linux user commands:

groupmod "Press Tab key twice"

Adding users to the usergroups

Now to add a user to a group, use the following syntax:

sudo usermod -a -G GROUPNAME USERNAME

Adding users to the usergroups

The system would ask for authentication and then it would add the user to the group.

You can check whether the user is in a group by this command.

Adding users to the usergroups

And it would show it as

Adding users to the usergroups

Removing a user from Usergroup

Use the following syntax for removing a user.

sudo deluser USER GROUPNAME

Removing a user from Usergroup

The GUI method

If you do not want to run the Linux user commands in terminal to manage users and groups, then you can install a GUI add-on .

sudo apt-get install gnome-system-tools

Once done, type

users-admin

Check user settings, and a tab Manage Groups will appear-

The GUI method

Finger

This command is used to procure information of the users on a Linux machine. You can use it on both local & remote machines

The syntax ‘finger’ gives data on all the logged users on the remote and local machine.

Finger

The syntax ‘finger username’ specifies the information of the user in User administration in Linux.

Finger

Linux/Unix user management commands

User management in Linux is done by using Linux administration commands. Here is a list of user management commands in Linux:

Command Description
sudo adduser username Adds a user
sudo passwd -l ‘username’ Disable a user
sudo userdel -r ‘username’ Delete a user
sudo usermod -a -G GROUPNAME USERNAME Add user a to a usergroup
sudo deluser USER GROUPNAME Remove user from a user group
finger Gives information on all logged in user
finger username Gives information of a particular user

Summary:

  • You can use both GUI or Terminal for User Administration in Linux User management
  • You can create, disable and remove user accounts using Linux admin commands.
  • You can add/delete a user to a usergroup.