adduser(8) - NetBSD Manual Pages

USERADD(8)              NetBSD System Manager's Manual              USERADD(8)


NAME

     useradd - add a user to the system


SYNOPSIS

     useradd -D [-b base-dir] [-e expiry-time] [-f inactive-secs] [-g gid |
             name | =uid] [[-k skel-dir] -r low..high] [-s shell]
     useradd [-mov] [-G secondary-group] [-b base-dir] [-c comment] [-d
             home-dir] [-e expiry-time] [-f inactive-secs] [-g gid | name |
             =uid] [-k skel-dir] [-p password] [-r low..high] [-s shell] [-u
             uid] user


DESCRIPTION

     The useradd utility adds a user to the system, creating and populating a
     home directory if necessary.  Any skeleton files will be provided for the
     new user if they exist in the /etc/skel directory.  Default values for
     the base directory, the time of password expiry, seconds until password
     change, primary group, the skeleton directory, the range from which the
     uid will be allocated, and default login shell can be provided in the
     /etc/usermgmt.conf file.

     The first format of the command shown above (utilising the -D option)
     sets and displays the defaults for the useradd utility.

     -D      without any further options, -D will show the current defaults
             which will be used by the useradd utility. Together with one of
             the options shown for the first version of the command, -D will
             set the default to be the new value.

     -b base-dir
             sets the base directory. This is the directory to which the user
             name is added, which will be created if the -m option is speci-
             fied and no -d option is specified.

     -e expiry-time
             sets the time at which the current password will expire for new
             users.

     -f inactive-secs
             sets the number of seconds after which, if no login has occurred
             for the user during that time, the login will be ``locked''.

     -g gid | groupname | =uid
             sets the default group for any user added using the useradd com-
             mand.

     -k -skel-dir
             sets the skeleton directory in which to find files with which to
             populate new users' home directories.

     -r low..high
             sets the low and high bounds of uid ranges for new users. A new
             user can only be created if there are uids which can be assigned
             from one of the free ranges.

     -s      sets the login shell for new users.

     In the second form of the command, after setting any defaults, and then
     values from that file, the command line options are processed:

     -G secondary-group
             is the secondary group to which the user will be added in the
             /etc/group file.

     -b base-directory
             is the base directory name, in which the user's new home directo-
             ry will be created, should the -m option be specified.  This val-
             ue can be preset for all users by using the base_dir field in the
             /etc/usermgmt.conf file - it has the format:
                   base_dir path-to-base-dir

     -c comment
             is the comment field (also, for historical reasons known as the
             GECOS field) which will be added for the user, and typically will
             include the username, and, perhaps, contact information for the
             user.

     -d home-directory
             is the home directory which will be created and populated for the
             user, should the -m option be specified.

     -e secs-to-expiry
             provides the number of seconds since the epoch (UTC) at which the
             current password change expire. This can be used to implement
             password aging.  A value of 0 can be used to switch off this fea-
             ture.  The default value for this field is 0.  See passwd(5) for
             more details.  This value can be preset for all users by using
             the expire field in the /etc/usermgmt.conf file - it has the for-
             mat:
                   expire secs-to-expiry

     -g gid | name | =uid
             gives the group name or identifier to be used for the new user's
             primary group.  If this is `=uid', then a uid and gid will be
             picked which are both unique and the same, and a line added to
             /etc/group to describe the new group.  This value can be preset
             for all users by using the gid field in the /etc/usermgmt.conf
             file - it has the format:
                   group gid | name | =uid

     -k skeleton directory
             gives the skeleton directory in which to find files with which to
             populate the new user's home directory.  This value can be preset
             for all users by using the skel_dir field in the
             /etc/usermgmt.conf file - it has the format: skel_dir <path-to-
             skeleton-dir>.

     -m      create a new home directory for the new user.

     -o      allow the new user to have a uid which is already in use for an-
             other user.

     -p password
             specifies an already-encrypted password for the new user.  This
             password can then be changed by using the chpass(1) utility.
             This value can be preset for all users by using the password
             field in the /etc/usermgmt.conf file - it has the format:
                   password encrypted-password

     -s shell
             specifies the login shell for the new user.  This value can be
             preset for all users by using the shell field in the
             /etc/usermgmt.conf file - it has the format:
                   shell login-shell

     -u uid  specifies a uid for the new user.  Boundaries for this value can
             be preset for all users by using the range field in the
             /etc/usermgmt.conf file - they have the format:
                   range starting-uid..ending-uid

     -v      enables verbose mode - explain the commands as they are executed.

     The useradd utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.


FILES

     /etc/usermgmt.conf
     /etc/skel/*


SEE ALSO

     chpass(1), passwd(5), group(5), user(8), userdel(8), usermod(8)


HISTORY

     The useradd utility first appeared in NetBSD 1.5.  It is based on the
     addnerd package by the same author.


AUTHOR

     The useradd utility was written by Alistair G. Crooks (agc@netbsd.org).

NetBSD                         November 30, 1999                             3