Let's deep dive into Advanced Linux and explore User and Group Management 🐧👥

We will learn about User and group management.

1. 👤 User Accounts- In Linux, users play a central role in the system's operation and security. Each user is a distinct entity with unique privileges and access rights. Let's explore more:

   • Every individual interacting with the Linux system has a user account. 👨‍💻👩‍💻

   • User accounts are identified by a username and a unique user ID (UID).

   • To create a user -

     

     if you don't use the '-m' flag user's home directory will be not created under /home.

   • All the user details/properties can be found in "/etc/passwd", once the user is created all the details are logged into "/etc/passwd".

     

   • To set a password for users -

     

   • To check the properties of the user's password - '/etc/shadow' stores all the properties of the user's password.

     

   • Switch user -

     

   • To change the user login name - Here we changed the user login name from testuser to test. ('-l' flag: The name of the user will be changed from LOGIN to NEW_LOGIN)

     

   • To delete a user -

     

2. 👥 **Groups (**Uniting Users for Collaboration 🐧)- In the fascinating world of Linux, groups are like friendly gatherings where users with similar interests or tasks come together! Let's explore this concept more:

   • Linux uses groups to manage access rights to files and directories. 🔐

   • Users in the same group enjoy shared permissions, enhancing security. 🛡️

   • Group information is stored in the /etc/group file. 🗄️

   • To create a group -

     

     'groupadd' is used to create a group and we can check the group properties in /etc/group

   • The /etc/gshadow file is another essential file in Linux that complements the /etc/group file. It is used to store encrypted group passwords or secure group-related information.

     

     The fields include group_name:encrypted_password:admin_users:members.

   • To add a user to a group -

     

     '-a' flag is used to add a single user and '-M' is used to add multiple users in a group. '-M' overwrites all the users in the group and adds new users.

   • Remove a user from a group -

     

     '-d' flag is used to remove a user from a group.

   • To make a user Group Admin -

     

     '-A' flag is used to make a user Admin to a group.

   • To delete a group -

     

Managing users and groups effectively ensures proper access controls, security, and collaboration in your Linux environment. It's very crucial to learn Users and Group Management 👥 for a Linux Administrator or a DevOps Engineer.

Next Topic: File System Permissions in Linux