The default user account settings may easily be changed with the command line, here is an example. Changing the default login shell with the command line.
4.4 Mon Jul 22 jason@Yog-Sothoth 0: $ sudo useradd -D -s /bin/bash |
Get the default settings like this, we can see that the /bin/bash shell is set as the default.
4.4 Mon Jul 22 jason@Yog-Sothoth 0: $ sudo useradd -D GROUP=100 HOME=/home INACTIVE=-1 EXPIRE= SHELL=/bin/bash SKEL=/etc/skel CREATE_MAIL_SPOOL=no |
This usage of useradd will do the same as above, but will also set the account to be disabled 3 days after the password expiry date if the password is not changed.
4.4 Mon Jul 22 jason@Yog-Sothoth 0: $ sudo useradd -D -s /bin/bash -f 3 |
And even the expiry date may be set to have a deadline for changing passwords before accounts are locked.
4.4 Mon Jul 22 jason@Yog-Sothoth 0: $ sudo useradd -D -s /bin/bash -f 3 -e "2019-07-30" |
Your user account will now be locked, unless the password is changed before this date.
Viewing the settings now, we can see the new changes in the /etc/default/useradd file.
4.4 Mon Jul 22 jason@Yog-Sothoth 0: $ sudo useradd -D GROUP=100 HOME=/home INACTIVE=3 EXPIRE=2019-07-30 SHELL=/bin/bash SKEL=/etc/skel CREATE_MAIL_SPOOL=no |
To change a user password, run this command, and follow the prompts.
4.4 Mon Jul 22 jason@Yog-Sothoth 0: $ sudo passwd jason Enter new UNIX password: Retype new UNIX password: passwd: password updated successfully |
Create a new user account like this.
4.4 Mon Jul 22 jason@Yog-Sothoth 0: $ sudo useradd -m -g jimkirk -c "Barak Obama" obama |
The user account is being added to an existing group named “jimkirk”. But a password has not been set yet.
Set a password like this.
4.4 Mon Jul 22 jason@Yog-Sothoth 0: $ sudo passwd obama Enter new UNIX password: Retype new UNIX password: passwd: password updated successfully |
And then the account is ready to use.