adduser - Adds a new user interactively
/usr/sbin/adduser
Security Note
If you have enhanced security installed on your system,
you should use the dxaccounts command to add users. See
the Security manual and the dxaccounts(8) reference page
for more information.
The adduser command is an interactive command for adding
new user accounts to your system. The command prompts you
for specific information and informs you of its activity
and error conditions.
The adduser command invokes /usr/sbin/useradd to add the
user account information to /etc/passwd and the hashed
password database (if present).
Only the superuser can execute this command.
The command performs the following tasks: Prompts you to
enter a login name for the new user. Enter the login
name. If this entry already exists in the passwd file,
the command informs you of this and exits. If the entry
does not already exist, the command creates one for the
new user. Prompts you to enter a UID for the new user. A
default UID, which is based on previously existing UID's
in the /etc/passwd file, is displayed and can be selected
by pressing the Return key. Enter a new UID or accept the
default. The command uses this UID in the /etc/passwd
file entry for the new user.
Note
While it is possible to have multiple entries with
identical login names and/or identical user id's,
it is usually a mistake to do so. Routines that
manipulate these files will often return only one
of the multiple entries, and that one by random
selection. Prompts you for the full name of the
new user. Enter the user's full name. This is
sometimes called the gecos entry and is displayed
by the finger command. Prompts you to enter a
login group for the new user and specifies the
default group, users. To accept the default, press
the Return key. To select a different group, enter
the name of that group, 8 characters or less. If
the group does not exist, the command displays a
message saying that the group is unknown, lists the
names of the groups that are available, and asks
whether or not you want to add the new group to the
/etc/group file.
If you choose the default, the command calls the
addgroup command to add the new group to the
/etc/group file. The addgroup command queries for
the group number of this new group and displays a
default value based on existing group numbers in
the /etc/group file. Select the default value by
pressing Return. Enter a group number or select
the default. At this point, the addgroup command
ends and the adduser command resumes.
There is a limitation on the number of users that
can be added to a group. The maximum line length
is LINE_MAX as defined in the <limits.h> file. It
is recommended that the users be divided into a
number of manageable groups.
See the System Administration manual for more
information on the /etc/group file. Prompts you
for the name of other groups for the user to belong
to. Again, the group you specify must already
exist. If you specify a group to which the user
already belongs, the command informs you of this.
Prompts you to enter the base directory for the new
user and specifies the default directory,
/usr/users. To accept the default, press the
Return key. To select a different home directory,
enter the path of that directory. The path that
you specify must exist within a mounted file system.
Displays a message that it is adding the new
user. At this point, the command makes an entry
for the user in the passwd file, creates the home
directory, creates the /var/spool/mail directory if
necessary, sets ownership and access permissions on
the new user's home and mail directories, and
copies startup files such as for the new user to
the home directory. Asks if you want to edit the
authentication file entry for the user. If the
environment variable EDITOR is set, adduser will
use $EDITOR to edit the user's authentication
entries. The adduser command automatically runs
the passwd command, which asks you to enter and
verify a new password for the user. Note that you
cannot use all lowercase letters. If you do, the
command asks that you use unusual capitalization
and suggests using control characters.
If you mistype the password when you are asked to
verify it, no password is set and the account is
disabled. To enable the user account, enter the
passwd command followed by the user name.
At this point, the command ends.
Users are advised to migrate to the /usr/sbin/useradd
utility or the dxaccounts utility as this command may be
removed in a future version of the operating system.
The addgroup command limits a group name to eight characters
or less. If you specify a new group name when
prompted, your entry must meet this restriction.
Enter a login name for the new user (for example, john):
chris Enter a UID for (chris) [5006]: Enter a full name
for (chris): Chris Ryan Enter a login group for (chris)
[users]: Enter another group that (chris) should be a member
of. (<Return> for none): Enter a parent directory for
(chris) [/usr/users]: The shells are: /bin/sh
/bin/csh /bin/ksh Enter a login shell for (chris)
[/bin/sh]: Adding new user ... Do you wish to edit the
auth file entry for this user (y/[n])? You must enter a
new password for (chris). Changing password for chris.
New password: Retype new password:
Specifies the command path Group file Password file
Default files directory
Commands: addgroup(8), chfn(1), chsh(1), dxaccounts(8),
groupadd(8), mkpasswd(8), passwd(1), removeuser(8), useradd(8), userdel(8), vipw(8)
Files: group(4), passwd(4)
adduser(8)
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