Toolbox Aid

August 9th, 2024 1:20 PM Mr. Q Categories: Command

Command: usermod

The usermod command allows administrators to modify a user’s account details, such as changing the user’s home directory, adding the user to groups, or changing the user’s login name. This command requires superuser (root) privileges.

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Sample Commands and Outputs:

• usermod -aG groupname username: Adds a user to a group. Sample Command and Output:

  $ sudo usermod -aG developers user1

Description:

• -aG: Appends the user to the specified group(s) without removing them from other groups.
• developers: The name of the group to which the user is being added.
• user1: The username of the account being modified.
• usermod -d /new/home/dir username: Changes the user’s home directory. Sample Command and Output:

  $ sudo usermod -d /home/user1_new user1

Description:

• -d /new/home/dir: Specifies the new home directory for the user.
• /home/user1_new: The new home directory.
• user1: The username of the account being modified.
• usermod -l newusername oldusername: Changes the username. Sample Command and Output:

  $ sudo usermod -l newuser olduser

Description:

• -l newusername: Specifies the new login name.
• newuser: The new username.
• olduser: The current username that is being changed.
• usermod -s /bin/zsh username: Changes the user’s default shell. Sample Command and Output:

  $ sudo usermod -s /bin/zsh user1

Description:

• -s /bin/zsh: Specifies the new default shell for the user.
• /bin/zsh: The path to the new default shell.
• user1: The username of the account being modified.
• usermod -e 2024-12-31 username: Sets an expiration date for the user account. Sample Command and Output:

  $ sudo usermod -e 2024-12-31 user1

Description:

• -e 2024-12-31: Specifies the expiration date for the user account in YYYY-MM-DD format.
• user1: The username of the account being modified.

Note: The usermod command is a powerful tool for system administrators to manage user accounts and should be used with caution to ensure proper configuration and security of user accounts.