====== Managing User Accounts ======

You'll need to be the root user to do any of the following.

===== Adding a New Group =====

To add a new user group to the system, use the //group add// command.

<code>
# group add wheel
</code>

===== Adding a New User =====

To add a new user to the system, run the //user add// command. The arguments to //user add// are //-m// to create a home directory, //-g// followed by the group name, and then the user name. The group must already exist and the user must not.

Examples:

<code>
# user add -m -g users foo

# user add -m -d /root2 -g operator anotherroot

# user add -m -g staff mike

# user add -m -g management steve

# user add -m -g boss fred
</code>

The typical groups for new users are **other** or **users** (for ordinary users), or **operator** (for system administrator). The user's home directory is normally created in ///home///, but can be changed using the //-d directory// option.

The new user's full name and password will be unset and the default shell will be //sh//. To change them, use the //chfn//, //passwd//, //chsh//, and //user mod// commands or have the user set them themselves after logging in.

Examples:

<code>
# chfn foo

# chsh -s /bin/zsh anotherroot
</code>

The user is now created, but it is still not usable to login, as you must first set a password: 
<code>
# passwd foo
</code>

==== Operator users ====

/!\ **//Stale: information below is not completely accurate, and reflects more the intentions of previous versions of MINIX than the current state.//**

The system has been set up with the idea that working as //root// is a bad thing to do. As //root// you are in no way protected from doing stupid things. So do not do development as root, but work as //bin//! Only in exceptional cases do you want to become //root//. Being //root// is fun for wannabe hackers; administrators know better.

<div round important>
/!\ **//Obsolete stuff, which might or might not come back...//**

To make life easier for //bin// some programs like su([[http://www.minix3.org/manpages/man1/su.1.html|1]]), install([[http://www.minix3.org/manpages/man1/install.1.html|1]]) and shutdown([[http://www.minix3.org/manpages/man8/shutdown.8.html|8]]) treat //bin// and other members of the //operator// group as special and allow them the privileges of //root//. (One is an //operator// if one's group ID is zero.) //Operator//s should share the shadow password of root by having ''##root'' in their password field. This way they all have one face (password) to the outside world, forming no greater security risk than root alone.
</div>

You can edit the ///etc/passwd// file using the //vipw// command. By default, it will use the //vi// text editor. This can be changed by using the //EDITOR// environment variable.

Example:

<code>
# EDITOR=nano vipw
</code>

==== Default Home Directory Contents ====

When you create a new user, the contents of the ///usr/ast// directory are copied to the user's new home directory. To change the default files provided whenever a new user is created, just change the contents of this directory.

===== Removing a User =====

To remove a user:

<code>
# user del foo
</code>

To remove a user and their home directory:

<code>
# user del -r foo
</code>

===== Removing a Group =====

Removing a group is very similar to removing a user. All you need to do is the following:

<code>
# group del wheel
</code>