How to add new user in Linux?

Adding a New User in Linux

In the Linux operating system, adding a new user is a straightforward process that allows you to create and manage user accounts on your system. This is an essential task for system administrators and users who need to grant access to other individuals or set up separate user environments.

Step 1: Open a Terminal

To add a new user in Linux, you'll need to open a terminal. You can typically find the terminal application in the system's application menu or by pressing the appropriate keyboard shortcut (e.g., Ctrl+Alt+T).

Step 2: Use the `useradd` Command

The primary command used to add a new user in Linux is useradd. This command allows you to create a new user account with various options and settings. The basic syntax for the useradd command is as follows:

sudo useradd [options] username

Here's an example of creating a new user named "newuser":

sudo useradd newuser

The sudo command is used to run the useradd command with administrative (root) privileges, which is required to create a new user.

Step 3: Set a Password for the New User

After creating the new user, you'll need to set a password for the account. You can do this using the passwd command:

sudo passwd newuser

This will prompt you to enter and confirm the new password for the "newuser" account.

Step 4: Verify the New User

To verify that the new user has been created, you can use the id command:

id newuser

This will display information about the new user, including the user ID (UID), group ID (GID), and the groups the user belongs to.

Additional Options and Configurations

The useradd command offers various options to customize the new user account. Some common options include:

-m: Create the user's home directory
-g: Specify the primary group for the user
-G: Add the user to additional groups
-s: Set the user's default shell (e.g., /bin/bash)

Here's an example of creating a new user with a home directory and adding them to the "developers" group:

sudo useradd -m -g developers newdev

You can also modify user account settings after creation using the usermod command.

Mermaid Diagram: Adding a New User in Linux

graph TD A[Open Terminal] --> B[Run useradd Command] B --> C[Set User Password] C --> D[Verify User Account] D --> E[Customize User Settings]

The diagram above illustrates the step-by-step process of adding a new user in Linux, including opening the terminal, using the useradd command, setting the user's password, verifying the account, and customizing the user settings as needed.

By following these steps, you can easily add new users to your Linux system, granting them access and configuring their accounts as required for your specific needs.