useradd command 2

[tech84]

Hi,

I'm learning the useradd command, and I can't figure out how to create a new user and not have their account locked. The only way I can figure is to go into admintool after creating the account with useradd, and setting the password parameters there. Isn't there a better way?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[sirrom]

# Syntax for adding a Solaris Unix user #

useradd -m -d /export/home/<username> <username>

 

[tech84]

Yes, but now the account is created and locked. Is there no way to create the account w/o having it locked by default?

Thanks Mike

 

[jad]

type 'passwd <username>' and set the password which unlocks it.

 

[sirrom]

man userad:

useradd adds a new user entry to the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files. It also creates supplementary group memberships for the user (-G option) and creates the home directory (-m option) for the user if requested. The new login remains locked until the passw(1) command is exe-cuted.

I dont think there is a way around it. Why would you want the account unlocked.

 

[tech84]

Ahhh... the passwd command. Thanks.

Well, I would want the user to be able to log in after I create his/her account w/o any additional administration. I'm used to setting up new users with a one-time password. I supposed you can do the same in Solaris, right, but it just takes an extra step?

(Don't get me wrong... in a short period of time, I'm starting to see the advantages of Unix over Windows pretty clearly!)

Thanks to both of you!

Mike

 

[jad]

at the useradd command you can set the password string; however this is the encoded string, and the only way to get this is to set it and then extract it from /etc/shadow

if you don't want to set a password and for them to set it then you can edit /etc/shadow and remove the second field on a line (might say 'NP' or '*' or even '*LK*' if accounts is locked.

even so, it's not too hard to type 'passwd <user>' afterwards

 

[tech84]

Thanks for the info!

I see your point, though... it's much quicker and easier to use the passwd command.

Mike

 

[wtrepani]

There are a lot of steps that we take when we add users on our system. I got around this by creating a script that reads input $USERNAME, does a adduser, creates the home directory, chmod and chown it, and does a passwd.

All I type is:

./adduser
&username
&password
&password

 

[tech84]

Boy, you guys are gurus! I would give anything to hang out with you at work for a week or two and pick up all of your tips and tricks. I'm learning all I can from getting certified and working with a couple of SPARCStations at home, but I'd kill to get some system admin hands-on. Any of you work in Dallas? ;-)

I'll just continue to use this forum. I've received a lot of great tips from the folks on this site!

Thanks again! Mike

 

[ady2k]

The other way,you can install webmin into your sun server.
After that you can add user from webmin.And you can set any feature.You can download from

http://www.webmin.com

Webmin is more user friendly web interface for managing your sun server.If I didn't misunderstand your needs.

 

[jad]

once you get used to the command line tho, it is hard to hand over control to a GUI also GUI's don't work over web links to multiple sites, without some serious VPN configuration.

 

[tech84]

Okay, you guys are WAY over my head now! Ha! I don't even have a server set up yet. I don't even know how to set up a server in unix. I'll get there though.

Thanks for the tips, tho! Webmin does look pretty cool. I'm a corn-fed GUI user, being a Windows man and all. But luckily, I grew up with DOS, so I'm starting to get back in the swing of the command line world.

Mike

 

[jad]

server == workstation with a few extra services.

if you do a full install from the install media you should have almost all the services you ever need for running as a server.

if you did an end-user install then you should have most of a pure workstation. however it still sets up printer spooling and printer sharing, and you have telnet, ftp, rlogin, shares ...

the difference is much less than you could probably imagine