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USERADD
!!!USERADD
NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
NOTES
CAVEATS
FILES
SEE ALSO
AUTHOR
----
!!NAME


useradd - Create a new user or update default new user information
!!SYNOPSIS


__useradd__


[[__-c__ ''comment''] [[__-d__ ''home_dir'']
[[__-e__ ''expire_date''] [[__-f__
''inactive_time'']
[[__-g__ ''initial_group''] [[__-G__
''group''[[,...]]
[[__-m__ [[__-k__ ''skeleton_dir'']] [[__-p__
''passwd'']
[[__-s__ ''shell''] [[__-u__ ''uid'' [[ __-o__]]
''login''


__useradd__


__-D__ [[__-g__ ''default_group''] [[__-b__
''default_home'']
[[__-f__ ''default_inactive''] [[__-e__
''default_expire_date'']
[[__-s__ ''default_shell'']
!!DESCRIPTION


__Creating New Users__


When invoked without the __-D__ option, the
__useradd__ command creates a new user account using the
values specified on the command line and the default values
from the system. The new user account will be entered into
the system files as needed, the home directory will be
created, and initial files copied, depending on the command
line options. The options which apply to the __useradd__
command are


__-c__ ''comment''


The new user's password file comment field.


__-d__ ''home_dir''


The new user will be created using ''home_dir'' as the
value for the user's login directory. The default is to
append the ''login'' name to ''default_home'' and use
that as the login directory name.


__-e__ ''expire_date''


The date on which the user account will be disabled. The
date is specified in the format
''YYYY-MM-DD''.


__-f__ ''inactive_days''


The number of days after a password expires until the
account is permanently disabled. A value of 0 disables the
account as soon as the password has expired, and a value of
-1 disables the feature. The default value is
-1.


__-g__ ''initial_group''


The group name or number of the user's initial login group.
The group name must exist. A group number must refer to an
already existing group. The default group number is
1.


__-G__ ''group,[[...]''


A list of supplementary groups which the user is also a
member of. Each group is separated from the next by a comma,
with no intervening whitespace. The groups are subject to
the same restrictions as the group given with the __-g__
option. The default is for the user to belong only to the
initial group.


__-m__


The user's home directory will be created if it does not
exist. The files contained in ''skeleton_dir'' will be
copied to the home directory if the __-k__ option is
used, otherwise the files contained in ''/etc/skel'' will
be used instead. Any directories contained in
''skeleton_dir'' or ''/etc/skel'' will be created in
the user's home directory as well. The __-k__ option is
only valid in conjunction with the __-m__ option. The
default is to not create the directory and to not copy any
files.


__-p__ ''passwd''


The encrypted password, as returned by crypt(3). The
default is to disable the account.


__-s__ ''shell''


The name of the user's login shell. The default is to leave
this field blank, which causes the system to select the
default login shell.


__-u__ ''uid''


The numerical value of the user's ID. This value must be
unique, unless the ''-o'' option is used. The value must
be non-negative. The default is to use the smallest ID value
greater than 99 and greater than every other user. Values
between 0 and 99 are typically reserved for system
accounts.


__Changing the default values__


When invoked with the __-D__ option, __useradd__ will
either display the current default values, or update the
default values from the command line. The valid options
are


__-b__ ''default_home''


The initial path prefix for a new user's home directory. The
user's name will be affixed to the end of
''default_home'' to create the new directory name if the
__-d__ ''option is not used when creating a new
account.''


__-e__ ''default_expire_date''


The date on which the user account is disabled.


__-f__ ''default_inactive''


The number of days after a password has expired before the
account will be disabled.


__-g__ ''default_group''


The group name or ID for a new user's initial group. The
named group must exist, and a numerical group ID must have
an existing entry .


__-s__ ''default_shell''


The name of the new user's login shell. The named program
will be used for all future new user accounts.


If no options are specified, __useradd__ displays the
current default values.
!!NOTES


The system administrator is responsible for placing the
default user files in the ''/etc/skel''
directory.


The __adduser__ program is generally more friendly to use
than this one and also uses Debian policy conformant UID and
GID values, creating a home directory a with skeletal
configuration, running a custom script, and other features.
It is more prefered than using this program.
!!CAVEATS


You may not add a user to an NIS group. This must be
performed on the NIS server.
!!FILES


/etc/passwd - user account information
/etc/shadow - secure user account information
/etc/group - group information
/etc/default/useradd - default information
/etc/skel - directory containing default files
!!SEE ALSO


chfn(1), chsh(1), crypt(3),
groupadd(8), groupdel(8), groupmod(8),
passwd(1), userdel(8),
usermod(8)
!!AUTHOR


Julianne Frances Haugh (jfh@austin.ibm.com)
----
10 pages link to useradd(8):
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Last edited on Tuesday, June 4, 2002 12:31:22 am by "perry"
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