Creating new Linux user

adduser is wraper/script for easyer use that uses useradd commands. It exists in several Ubuntu based distributions or distros like in our case is Linux Mint. Check the beggining of this tutorial for what characters are allowed.

To create standard user (will convert it later to administrator-sudo):

sudo adduser tomatobox

Elevating with sudo the script adduser to create new user which in our case is tomatobox but you choose whatever username you want to create. Result and additional info entry example:

[sudo] password for testbox:          
info: Adding user `tomatobox' ...
info: Selecting UID/GID from range 1000 to 59999 ...
info: Adding new group `tomatobox' (1001) ...
info: Adding new user `tomatobox' (1001) with group `tomatobox (1001)' ...
info: Creating home directory `/home/tomatobox' ...
info: Copying files from `/etc/skel' ...
New password: 
Retype new password: 
passwd: password updated successfully
Changing the user information for tomatobox
Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default
Full Name []: TomatoBox
Room Number []: 
Work Phone []: 
Home Phone []: 
Other []: 
Is the information correct? [Y/n] y
info: Adding new user `tomatobox' to supplemental / extra groups `users' ...
info: Adding user `tomatobox' to group `users' ...

After each input confirm it with the Enter keyboard key.

• [sudo] password for testbox: type in your current logged in user password (in our case is testbox) if it asks you.
• New password: type in new password for the new user (check the beggining of this tutorial for what characters are allowed). It’s normal for Linux not to show you when you type in so it stays empty.
• Retype new password: type in that new password again. It’s normal for Linux not to show you when you type in so it stays empty.
• Full Name []: here type in the name for the profile like example Tomato Box where we can use spaces and other characters.
• Room Number []: / Work Phone []: / Home Phone []: / Other []: those you can leave empty or type in what ever you want.
• Is the information correct? [Y/n] here type in Y or y to confirm all data we entered are correct or N / n to fix the data. Confirm it all with the Enter keyboard key.

Now new standard user is created with new user’s home folder /home/tomatobox, added to a newly created user group tomatobox. Now let’s join new user to groups like sudo for administrator privileges and other groups for more access and functionality, of course change tomatobox to your new user name and choose desired groups. Example of adding groups to a user:

sudo usermod -aG sudo,adm,cdrom,plugdev,sambashare,dip,audio,video,dialout,games,bluetooth tomatobox

sudo elevates the script usermod to join user tomatobox to new groups seperated by comma , with the flag -aG OR -a -G. Check the beggining of this tutorial for each group meaning!

Now new user is created. I suggest you restart your computer before you log-in into the new profile, little lower I written down how to do it.

To create new user (check the beggining of this tutorial for what characters are allowed) use:

sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash tomatobox2

• -m is a flag to automatically create home folder with new username (our example /home/tomatobox2).
• -s /bin/bash -s is a flag that defines the path to the user’s default login shell which must be followed by the path like in our case is /bin/bash. If you exclude -s /bin/bash your new user will get /bin/sh. bash and sh are two drifferent shells where bash is like sh but with more features, better syntax where most commands works the same but they are not the same thing.

To set the password (check the beggining of this tutorial for what characters are allowed) for the new user use:

sudo passwd tomatobox2

The result is:

[sudo] password for testbox:          
New password: 
Retype new password: 
passwd: password updated successfully

• [sudo] password for testbox: type in your current logged in user password if it asks you.
• New password: Type in new password for the new user.
• Retype new password: Type in again same new user password.

To set the full name for the new user use:

sudo usermod -c "Tomato Box2" tomatobox2

You write what you want between the quotes but leave the quotes alone! Full name can contain spaces and other characters.

Now new standard user is created with new user’s home folder /home/tomatobox2, added to a newly created user group tomatobox2. Now let’s join new user to groups like sudo for administrator privileges and other groups for more access and functionality. Example of adding groups to a user, of course change tomatobox2 to your new user name:

sudo usermod -aG sudo,adm,cdrom,plugdev,sambashare,dip,audio,video,dialout,games,bluetooth tomatobox2

sudo elevating script usermod to join user tomatobox2 to new groups seperated by comma , with the flag -aG OR -a -G. Check the beggining of this tutorial for each group meaning!

cat /etc/passwd | grep '/home'

cat command shows file content, can combine files and also create new files. With our command we look into passwd file located in /etc folder and commanting it to show lines that contains only /home and here is the result example:

testbox:x:1000:1000:Test Box,,,:/home/testbox:/bin/bash
tomatobox:x:1001:1001:Tomato Box,,,:/home/tomatobox:/bin/bash
tomatobox2:x:1002:1002:Tomato Box2:/home/tomatobox2:/bin/bash

Individual elements in each line are seperated by colon :.

• testbox is the user name or login name.
• x – Encrypted password is stored in the /etc/shadow file.
• 1000 – UID (user identification number)
• 1000 is primary GID (primary identification group number)
• Test Box,,, It may include user’s full name, building and room number, contact person or any other user information seperated by comma ,.
• /home/testbox Home directory for the user.
• /bin/bash Login shell for the user. Pathnames of valid login shells comes from the /etc/shells file.

sudo deluser --remove-home tomatobox2

• deluser is command to delete user.
• –remove-home is a flag to permanently delete that user home folder.
• tomatobox2 is the username to delete, you write your username you want to delete.

Confirm user deletion with the Enter keyboard key and once you delete, profile folder and that user is gone for ever so be sure you want to do it!

We can open window in few different ways:

1. Left mouse button click LM menu, type users and then left mouse button click on the result Users and Groups.

   

2. Left mouse button click on the LM menu and then click on the System settings,

   

   1. left mouse button click in the search box, type users and then left mouse button click on the result Users and Groups

      

      

      OR

   2. scrool down to the bottom and left mouse button click on the Users and Groups.

      

In new window type in logged-in user password and then left mouse button click on Authenticate button.

• Account Type in our case is Administrator but you can also set as Standard with limited functionality.
• Full Name is for the user’s full name, for example Tomato Box or like John or whatever you want.
• Username is the actual username (check the beggining of this tutorial for what characters are allowed) for your new Linux user profile.

With left mouse button you click on the desired element to change.

• Account Type in our case is Administrator but you can also set as Standard with limited functionality.
• Full Name is for the user’s full name, for example Tomato Box or like John or whatever you want.
• Username is the actual username (check the beggining of this tutorial for what characters are allowed).
• Groups which groups user is joined or edit them with few clicks.

1. Left mouse button click on the No password set button, in the new window input new password in both text boxes and confirm it with the OK button.

   

2. Type in your same new password in both text boxes and then left mouse button click on Change button.

   

   • New password is for your new desired password (check the beggining of this tutorial for what characters are allowed).
   • Confirm password here you type in the new password again to confirm you wrote it correctly.
   • Show password checkbox you can click to show the passwords and then correct them.

1. Left mouse button click on the list of groups near the Groups.

   

2. Select group checkboxes you want that user to be associated with and then left mouse button click on the OK button.

   

In the main Users and Groups window:

1. In the levt column left mouse button click the username you want to delete.

   

2. Left mouse button click on the Delete button on the bottom.

   

3. Left mouse button click on the Yes button.

   

Now user account and it’s home folder is deleted.

If you do not want this window to come up again when you turn on your computer just left mouse button click to uncheck the bottom checkbox near the Show this dialogue at startup.

Now you can close this window by clicking button in the top right corner.

1. In the free space on the desktop right mouse button click and then left mouse button click on the Display settings

   

2. Left mouse button click on the selection box near the Resolution.

   

3. Left mouse button click on the desired resolution, in my case is 1080p or 1920 x 1080 pixels.

   

4. You can change other elements and when all is done left mouse button click on the Apply button.

   

5. Linux will ask you if you want to keep the settings you set and left mouse button click on the Keep changes button.

   

Now you can close the settings window by clicking button in the top right corner.

1. Left mouse button click on the System Reports button notification.

   

2. Wait till system checks are completed.

   

3. You can set Timeshift if you want by left mouse button click on the Launch Timeshift button but because that is not the scope of this tutorial will just left mouse button click on the Ignore this report button. Timeshift is very important and you should use it, will do tutorial in the future about it.

   

4. Linux is asking us if you really want to ignore that report, just left mouse button click on the OK button.

   

Now you can close the window by clicking button in the top right corner.

1. Left mouse button click on the Update Manager button notification.

   

2. In the Welcome to the Update Manager window just left mouse button click on the OK button to confirm.

   

Now you can close the window by clicking button in the top right corner.