Networking / Beginners

The usermod command

The usermod command modifies an existing user. It has the following syntax:

usermod [options] user-name
  • c comment: Typically, the comment is the user's full name.
  • -d home-dir: The home directory of the new user.
  • -e date: The expiration date for a logon.
  • -f time: The number of days between logons before the user is considered expired.
  • -g group: The initial logon group for the user.
  • -G groups: Additional groups the user should belong to.
  • -m: Creates the new user's home directory if it doesn't exist already.
  • -s shell-path: Specifies the user's logon shell.
  • -l: Locks an account.
  • -u: Unlocks an account.

Here's an example that changes a user's full name:

$ usermod -c 'The Beave' theodore

The userdel command

The userdel command deletes a user. It has a simple syntax:

userdel [-r] user-name

If you specify -r, the user's home directory is deleted along with the account.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Linux Commands
  2. Command Shell Basics
  3. Editing commands
  4. Wildcards
  5. Redirection and piping
  6. Environment variables
  7. Shell scripts
  8. Directory and File Handling Commands
  9. The cd command
  10. The mkdir command
  11. The rmdir command
  12. The ls command
  13. The cp command
  14. The rm command
  15. The mv command
  16. The touch command
  17. The cat command
  18. Commands for Working with Packages and Services
  19. The rpm command
  20. Commands for Administering Users
  21. The usermod command
  22. The chage command
  23. The passwd command
  24. The newusers command
  25. The groupadd command
  26. The groupdel command
  27. Commands for Managing Ownership and Permissions
  28. The chgrp command
  29. The chmod command
  30. Networking Commands
  31. The ipconfig command
  32. The netstat command
  33. The ping command
  34. The route command
  35. The traceroute command