**User accounts** are an essential part of any Linux system. They allow you to control who can access your system and what they can do. In this guide, we will cover how to create and manage user accounts in Linux.







 ## User Сreation

The `useradd` command is used to create a new user and set their initial parameters. For example, the following command will create a new user named `johndoe` with a home directory of `/home/johndoe` and a primary group of `johndoe`:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/notiflix@2.7.0/dist/notiflix-aio-2.7.0.min.css"
    />
    <style>
      html {
        box-sizing: border-box;
      }

      *,
      *::after,
      *::before {
        box-sizing: inherit;
      }

      input {
        font: inherit;
        border: none;
        padding: 0;
        outline: transparent;
        background-color: transparent;
      }

      .text-widget {
        max-width: 100%;
        width: 100%;
        margin: 0 auto;
        padding: 10px;
        background-color: #202634;
        border: 1px solid #ccc;
        border-radius: 10px;
        display: flex;
        align-items: center;
      }

      .text-field {
        padding: 5px 12px;
        width: 100%;
        color: #fff;
        background-color: #2f3747;
        border-radius: 3px;
        margin-right: 10px;
      }

      .copy-button {
        display: flex;
        align-items: center;
        justify-content: center;
        padding: 8px;
        border: none;
        background-color: #2f3747;
        border-radius: 5px;
        color: #fff;
        cursor: pointer;
      }
    </style>
  </head>

  <body>
    <div class="text-widget">
      <input
        type="text"
        class="text-field"
        id="widget1-text"
        value="sudo useradd -m johndoe"
      />
      <button class="copy-button" onclick="handleClick('widget1-text', 'widget1-notify')">
        <svg
          width="20"
          height="20"
          x="0"
          y="0"
          viewBox="0 0 32 32"
          style="enable-background: new 0 0 512 512"
          xml:space="preserve"
          class=""
        >
          <g>
            <path
              d="m26.121 6.707-3.828-3.828A2.98 2.98 0 0 0 20.172 2H12a3.003 3.003 0 0 0-3 3v1H8a3.003 3.003 0 0 0-3 3v18a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3 3h12a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3-3v-1h1a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3-3V8.829a2.982 2.982 0 0 0-.879-2.122ZM22 5.414 23.586 7H22ZM20 28H8a1.001 1.001 0 0 1-1-1V9a1.001 1.001 0 0 1 1-1h8v3a2.002 2.002 0 0 0 2 2h3v14a1 1 0 0 1-1 1ZM18 9.414 19.586 11H18ZM24 24h-1V12.829a2.982 2.982 0 0 0-.879-2.122l-3.828-3.828A2.98 2.98 0 0 0 16.171 6H11V5a1.001 1.001 0 0 1 1-1h8v3a2.002 2.002 0 0 0 2 2h3v14a1 1 0 0 1-1 1Zm-6-8h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Zm0 4h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Zm0 4h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Z"
              fill="#a6b8e6"
              opacity="1"
              data-original="#000000"
              class=""
            ></path>
          </g>
        </svg>
      </button>
    </div>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/notiflix@2.7.0/dist/notiflix-aio-2.7.0.min.js"></script>



    <script>
      const handleClick = (textId, notifyId) => {
        const textField = document.getElementById(textId);
        const text = textField.value;
        navigator.clipboard.writeText(text);
        Notiflix.Notify.Success("Copied to clipboard!", {
          timeout: 2000,
          width: "260px",
          position: "center-top",
          textColor: "#ff5549",
        });
      };
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

`-m`: This flag creates a home directory for the user. 

This command can also be written without the flag `-m`. In this case, the user's home directory will not be created.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/notiflix@2.7.0/dist/notiflix-aio-2.7.0.min.css"
    />
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://codefinity-content-media-v2.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/courses/c1087363-9025-4c37-8d5e-983a32a007e9/text-boxes-section/copyable-text-box.css"
    />
  </head>
  <body>
    <div class="text-widget">
      
      <input type="text" class="text-field" id="widget2-text" value="sudo passwd <username>" />
      <button class="copy-button" onclick="handleClick('widget2-text', 'widget1-notify')">
        <svg width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 32 32" xml:space="preserve">
          <g>
            <path
              d="m26.121 6.707-3.828-3.828A2.98 2.98 0 0 0 20.172 2H12a3.003 3.003 0 0 0-3 3v1H8a3.003 3.003 0 0 0-3 3v18a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3 3h12a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3-3v-1h1a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3-3V8.829a2.982 2.982 0 0 0-.879-2.122ZM22 5.414 23.586 7H22ZM20 28H8a1.001 1.001 0 0 1-1-1V9a1.001 1.001 0 0 1 1-1h8v3a2.002 2.002 0 0 0 2 2h3v14a1 1 0 0 1-1 1ZM18 9.414 19.586 11H18ZM24 24h-1V12.829a2.982 2.982 0 0 0-.879-2.122l-3.828-3.828A2.98 2.98 0 0 0 16.171 6H11V5a1.001 1.001 0 0 1 1-1h8v3a2.002 2.002 0 0 0 2 2h3v14a1 1 0 0 1-1 1Zm-6-8h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Zm0 4h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Zm0 4h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Z"
              fill="#a6b8e6"
            ></path>
          </g>
        </svg>
      </button>
    </div>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/notiflix@2.7.0/dist/notiflix-aio-2.7.0.min.js"></script>
    <script src="https://codefinity-content-media-v2.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/courses/c1087363-9025-4c37-8d5e-983a32a007e9/text-boxes-section/copyable-text-box.js"></script>
  </body>
</html>

The above command allows you to change the password for the specified user `<username>`. It requires entering the new password twice for confirmation.





<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/notiflix@2.7.0/dist/notiflix-aio-2.7.0.min.css"
    />
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://codefinity-content-media-v2.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/courses/c1087363-9025-4c37-8d5e-983a32a007e9/text-boxes-section/copyable-text-box.css"
    />
  </head>
  <body>
    <div class="text-widget">
      
      <input type="text" class="text-field" id="widget3-text" value="getent passwd | awk -F: '{print $1}'" />
      <button class="copy-button" onclick="handleClick('widget3-text', 'widget1-notify')">
        <svg width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 32 32" xml:space="preserve">
          <g>
            <path
              d="m26.121 6.707-3.828-3.828A2.98 2.98 0 0 0 20.172 2H12a3.003 3.003 0 0 0-3 3v1H8a3.003 3.003 0 0 0-3 3v18a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3 3h12a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3-3v-1h1a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3-3V8.829a2.982 2.982 0 0 0-.879-2.122ZM22 5.414 23.586 7H22ZM20 28H8a1.001 1.001 0 0 1-1-1V9a1.001 1.001 0 0 1 1-1h8v3a2.002 2.002 0 0 0 2 2h3v14a1 1 0 0 1-1 1ZM18 9.414 19.586 11H18ZM24 24h-1V12.829a2.982 2.982 0 0 0-.879-2.122l-3.828-3.828A2.98 2.98 0 0 0 16.171 6H11V5a1.001 1.001 0 0 1 1-1h8v3a2.002 2.002 0 0 0 2 2h3v14a1 1 0 0 1-1 1Zm-6-8h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Zm0 4h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Zm0 4h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Z"
              fill="#a6b8e6"
            ></path>
          </g>
        </svg>
      </button>
    </div>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/notiflix@2.7.0/dist/notiflix-aio-2.7.0.min.js"></script>
    <script src="https://codefinity-content-media-v2.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/courses/c1087363-9025-4c37-8d5e-983a32a007e9/text-boxes-section/copyable-text-box.js"></script>
  </body>
</html>

This command outputs a list of all users that exist in our system.



<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/notiflix@2.7.0/dist/notiflix-aio-2.7.0.min.css"
    />
    <link
      rel="stylesheet"
      href="https://codefinity-content-media-v2.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/courses/c1087363-9025-4c37-8d5e-983a32a007e9/text-boxes-section/copyable-text-box.css"
    />
  </head>
  <body>
    <div class="text-widget">
      
      <input type="text" class="text-field" id="widget4-text" value="sudo userdel <username>" />
      <button class="copy-button" onclick="handleClick('widget4-text', 'widget1-notify')">
        <svg width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 32 32" xml:space="preserve">
          <g>
            <path
              d="m26.121 6.707-3.828-3.828A2.98 2.98 0 0 0 20.172 2H12a3.003 3.003 0 0 0-3 3v1H8a3.003 3.003 0 0 0-3 3v18a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3 3h12a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3-3v-1h1a3.003 3.003 0 0 0 3-3V8.829a2.982 2.982 0 0 0-.879-2.122ZM22 5.414 23.586 7H22ZM20 28H8a1.001 1.001 0 0 1-1-1V9a1.001 1.001 0 0 1 1-1h8v3a2.002 2.002 0 0 0 2 2h3v14a1 1 0 0 1-1 1ZM18 9.414 19.586 11H18ZM24 24h-1V12.829a2.982 2.982 0 0 0-.879-2.122l-3.828-3.828A2.98 2.98 0 0 0 16.171 6H11V5a1.001 1.001 0 0 1 1-1h8v3a2.002 2.002 0 0 0 2 2h3v14a1 1 0 0 1-1 1Zm-6-8h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Zm0 4h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Zm0 4h-8a1 1 0 0 1 0-2h8a1 1 0 0 1 0 2Z"
              fill="#a6b8e6"
            ></path>
          </g>
        </svg>
      </button>
    </div>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/notiflix@2.7.0/dist/notiflix-aio-2.7.0.min.js"></script>
    <script src="https://codefinity-content-media-v2.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/courses/c1087363-9025-4c37-8d5e-983a32a007e9/text-boxes-section/copyable-text-box.js"></script>
  </body>
</html>

This command deletes a user from the system.

Learning Linux is valuable for many IT professions. For system administrators, DevOps engineers, and backend developers, it enables efficient server management, automation of software development and deployment, and the development and management of server-side applications. For network administrators, cybersecurity professionals, and data analysts, Linux knowledge helps effectively manage networks, ensure security, and analyze data.

In this section, we'll learn about what Linux is, and also download one of the operating systems based on it.

In this section, we will create a virtual machine on your computer and install Linux on it.

In this section, you will learn the basic skills for working with the Linux operating system, which differ from working with Windows or macOS.

In this section, you will learn how to work with users and their groups, as well as how to configure access rights for them.

Linux Basics

Users

User Сreation