Red Hat ENTERPRISE LINUX 3 - STEP BY STEP GUIDE Manual page 23

Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.6. Creating a User Account
When you first started your Red Hat Enterprise Linux system after installation, you were given the
opportunity to create one or more user accounts using the Setup Agent. If you did not create at least
one account (not including the root account) you should do so now. You should avoid working in the
root account for daily tasks.
There are two ways to create new and/or additional user accounts: using the graphical User Manager
application or from a shell prompt.
To create a user account graphically using the User Manager:
1. Click the Start Here icon on the desktop. In the new window that opens, click the System
Settings icon, and then click the Users & Groups icon. You can also select Main Menu =>
System Settings => Users & Groups from the panel.
You can also start the User Manager by typing
2. If you are not logged in as root, you will be prompted for your root password.
3. The window shown in Figure 1-12 will appear. Click Add User.
Figure 1-12. The Red Hat User Manager
4. In the Create New User dialog box, enter a username (this can be an abbreviation or nickname),
the full name of the user for whom this account is being created, and a password (which you will
enter a second time for verification). The name of this user's home directory and the name of the
login shell should appear by default. For most users, you can accept the defaults for the other
configuration options. Refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux System Administration Guide for
details about additional options.
5. Click OK. The new user will appear in the user list, signaling that the user account creation is
complete.
To create a user account from a shell prompt:
1. Open a shell prompt.
2. If you are not logged in as root, type the command
3. Type
useradd
command line (for example,
on the user's name, such as jsmith for John Smith. User account names can be anything from
the user's name, initials, or birthplace to something more creative.
4. Type followed by a space and the username again (for example,
passwd
followed by a space and the username for the new account you are creating at the
useradd jsmith
redhat-config-users
and enter the root password.
su -
). Press [Enter]. Often, usernames are variations
at a shell prompt.
).
passwd jsmith
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