USERADD(8) Maintenance Commands and Procedures USERADD(8)

NAME

useradd - administer a new user login on the system

SYNOPSIS

useradd [-A authorization[,authorization]...]
[-b base_dir] [-c comment] [-d dir] [-e expire]
[-f inactive] [-g group] [-G group[,group]...]
[-K key=value] [-m [-z|-Z] [-k skel_dir]] [-p projname]
[-P profile[,profile]...] [-R role[,role]...]
[-s shell] [-u uid [-o]] login


useradd -D [-A authorization[,authorization]...]
[-b base_dir] [-e expire] [-f inactive] [-g group]
[-k skel_dir] [-K key=value] [-p projname]
[-P profile[,profile]...] [-R role[,role]...]
[-s shell]

DESCRIPTION

useradd adds a new user to the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow and
/etc/user_attr files. The -A and -P options respectively assign
authorizations and profiles to the user. The -R option assigns roles
to the user. The -p option associates a project with the user. The -K
option adds a key=value pair to /etc/user_attr for the user. Multiple
key=value pairs may be added with multiple -K options.


useradd 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 passwd(1) command
is executed.


Specifying useradd -D with the -A, -b, -e, -f, -g, -k, -K, -p, -P,
-R, or -s option (or any combination of these options) sets the
default values for the respective fields. See the -D option, below.
Subsequent useradd commands without the -D option use these
arguments.


The system file entries created with this command have a limit of
2048 characters per line. Specifying long arguments to several
options can exceed this limit.


useradd requires that usernames be in the format described in
passwd(5). A warning message is displayed if these restrictions are
not met. See passwd(5) for the requirements for usernames.

To change the action of useradd when the traditional login name
length limit of eight characters is exceeded, edit the file
/etc/default/useradd by removing the # (pound sign) before the
appropriate EXCEED_TRAD= entry, and adding it before the others.

OPTIONS

The following options are supported:

-A authorization

One or more comma separated authorizations defined in
auth_attr(5). Only a user or role who has grant rights to the
authorization can assign it to an account.


-b base_dir

The base directory for new login home directories (see the -d
option below). The directory named by base_dir must already exist
and be an absolute path.


-c comment

A text string. It is generally a short description of the login,
and is currently used as the field for the user's full name. This
information is stored in the user's /etc/passwd entry.


-d dir

The home directory of the new user. If not supplied, it defaults
to base_dir/account_name, where base_dir is the base directory
for new login home directories and account_name is the new login
name.


-D

Display the default values for group, base_dir, skel_dir, shell,
inactive, expire, proj, projname and key=value pairs. When used
with the -A, -b, -e, -f, -g, -P, -p, -R, or -K options, the -D
option sets the default values for the specified fields. The
default values are:

group

other (GID of 1)


base_dir

/home


skel_dir

/etc/skel


shell

/bin/sh


inactive

0


expire

null


auths

null


profiles

null


proj

3


projname

default


key=value (pairs defined in user_attr(5))

not present


roles

null


-e expire

Specify the expiration date for a login. After this date, no user
will be able to access this login. The expire option argument is
a date entered using one of the date formats included in the
template file /etc/datemsk. See getdate(3C).

If the date format that you choose includes spaces, it must be
quoted. For example, you can enter 10/6/90 or October 6, 1990. A
null value (" ") defeats the status of the expired date. This
option is useful for creating temporary logins.


-f inactive

The maximum number of days allowed between uses of a login ID
before that ID is declared invalid. Normal values are positive
integers. A value of 0 defeats the status.


-g group

An existing group's integer ID or character-string name. Without
the -D option, it defines the new user's primary group membership
and defaults to the default group. You can reset this default
value by invoking useradd -D -g group. GIDs 0-99 are reserved for
allocation by the Operating System.


-G group

One or more comma-separated existing groups, specified by integer
ID or character-string name. It defines the new user's
supplementary group membership. Any duplicate groups between the
-g and -G options are ignored. No more than NGROUPS_MAX groups
can be specified. GIDs 0-99 are reserved for allocation by the
Operating System.


-k skel_dir

A directory that contains skeleton information (such as .profile)
that can be copied into a new user's home directory. This
directory must already exist. The system provides the /etc/skel
directory that can be used for this purpose.


-K key=value

A key=value pair to add to the user's attributes. Multiple -K
options may be used to add multiple key=value pairs. The generic
-K option with the appropriate key may be used instead of the
specific implied key options (-A, -p, -P, -R). See user_attr(5)
for a list of valid key=value pairs. The "type" key is not a
valid key for this option. Keys cannot be repeated.


-m [-z|-Z]

Create the new user's home directory if it does not already
exist. If the directory already exists, it must have read, write,
and execute permissions by group, where group is the user's
primary group.

If the parent directory of the user's home directory is located
on a separate ZFS file system and the /etc/default/useradd file
contains the parameter MANAGE_ZFS set to the value YES, a new ZFS
file system will be created for the user.

If the -z option is specified, useradd will always try to create
a new file system for the home directory.

If the -Z option is specified, a new file system will never be
created.


-o

This option allows a UID to be duplicated (non-unique).


-p projname

Name of the project with which the added user is associated. See
the projname field as defined in project(5).


-P profile

One or more comma-separated execution profiles defined in
prof_attr(5).


-R role

One or more comma-separated roles defined in user_attr(5). Roles
cannot be assigned to other roles.


-s shell

Full pathname of the program used as the user's shell on login.
It defaults to an empty field causing the system to use /bin/sh
as the default. The value of shell must be a valid executable
file.


-u uid

The UID of the new user. This UID must be a non-negative decimal
integer below MAXUID as defined in <sys/param.h>. The UID
defaults to the next available (unique) number above the highest
number currently assigned. For example, if UIDs 100, 105, and 200
are assigned, the next default UID number will be 201. UIDs 0-99
are reserved for allocation by the Operating System.

FILES

/etc/default/useradd


/etc/datemsk


/etc/passwd


/etc/shadow


/etc/group


/etc/skel


/usr/include/limits.h


/etc/user_attr

ATTRIBUTES

See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:


+--------------------+-----------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+--------------------+-----------------+
|Interface Stability | Committed |
+--------------------+-----------------+

SEE ALSO

passwd(1), profiles(1), roles(1), getdate(3C), auth_attr(5),
passwd(5), prof_attr(5), project(5), user_attr(5), attributes(7),
groupadd(8), groupdel(8), groupmod(8), grpck(8), logins(8), pwck(8),
userdel(8), usermod(8), zfs(8)

DIAGNOSTICS

In case of an error, useradd prints an error message and exits with a
non-zero status.


The following indicates that login specified is already in use:

UX: useradd: ERROR: login is already in use. Choose another.


The following indicates that the uid specified with the -u option is
not unique:

UX: useradd: ERROR: uid uid is already in use. Choose another.


The following indicates that the group specified with the -g option
is already in use:

UX: useradd: ERROR: group group does not exist. Choose another.


The following indicates that the uid specified with the -u option is
in the range of reserved UIDs (from 0-99):

UX: useradd: WARNING: uid uid is reserved.


The following indicates that the uid specified with the -u option
exceeds MAXUID as defined in <sys/param.h>:

UX: useradd: ERROR: uid uid is too big. Choose another.


The following indicates that the /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow files do
not exist:

UX: useradd: ERROR: Cannot update system files - login cannot be created.

NOTES

The useradd utility adds definitions to only the local /etc/group,
/etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, /etc/project, and /etc/user_attr files. If
a network name service is being used to supplement the local
/etc/passwd file with additional entries, useradd cannot change
information supplied by the network name service. However useradd
will verify the uniqueness of the user name (or role) and user id and
the existence of any group names specified against the external name
service.

January 7, 2018 USERADD(8)