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:
Select Applications (the main menu on the
panel) => System Settings =>
Users & Groups from the panel.
You can also start the User Manager
by typing redhat-config-users at a shell
prompt.
If you are not logged in as root, you will be prompted for your
root password.
The window shown in Figure 1-16 will
appear. Click Add User.
Figure 1-16. The Red Hat User Manager
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.
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:
Open a shell prompt.
If you are not logged in as root, type the command su
- and enter the root password.
Type useradd followed by a space and the
username for the new account you are creating at the command line
(for example, useradd
jsmith). Press
[Enter]. Often, usernames are variations 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.
Type passwd followed by a space and
the username again (for example, passwd
jsmith).
At the New password: prompt enter a password for
the new user and press [Enter].
At the Retype new password: prompt, enter the
same password to confirm your selection.
Important
You should take precautions when you choose a password. The
password is the key to your account, so it should be both unique
and easy for you to remember. Your password should be at least six
characters. You can use both uppercase and lowercase letters, as
well as numbers and characters. Avoid easy selections, such as
qwerty or
password. If you want to pick an
easy-to-remember but somewhat unique password, consider a
variation of a word, such as a1rPl4nE for
airplane.
