Step # 5: Run the script to install both Webmin and Virtualmin.

sudo is a command-line utility that enables authorized users to run commands as root or another user.

This article will demonstrate two methods for granting sudo capabilities to a user.

The first step is to include the user in the sudoers file. This file lists which users and groups have sudo rights and how much those rights give them.

The second way is to add the user to the sudoers file’s sudo group. On Ubuntu and Linux Mint, which are both based on Debian, all members of the “sudo” group have sudo privileges automatically granted to them when they log in.

Incorporating users into the sudo group

The simplest approach to provide sudo capabilities to a user on Ubuntu is to add the user to the “sudo” group. Members of this group may run any command as root using sudo and will be required to provide their password when doing so.

We’ll assume the user already exists. Check out this instruction if you wish to create a new user.

Run the command below as root or another sudo user to add the user to the group. Make careful to replace “username” with the name of the user whose rights you wish to provide.

usermod -aG sudo username

This approach of granting sudo access is enough for most use situations.

Run the whoami command to verify that the user has sudo capabilities.:

sudo whoami

You will be asked to enter your password. If the user has sudo privileges, the command will output “root”:

root

An error message stating “user is not in the sudoers file” indicates that the user does not have sudo rights.

Incorporating Users into the Sodoers File

The /etc/sudoers file specifies which users and groups have sudo access. Customized command access and security policies may be set up by adding the user to this file.

You may alter the sudoers file or create a new file in the /etc/sudoers.d directory to set the user’s access to sudo. The sudoers file includes the files under this directory.

/etc/sudoers should only be edited using visudo. When you save the file, this command checks for syntax mistakes. The file will not be saved if there are any mistakes. It’s possible that a syntax mistake may result in the sudo access being lost if the file is opened in text editor.

To access the sudoers file, visudo usually utilises vim. If you’re not familiar with vim and want to use nano instead, execute the following command to make nano the default editor:

EDITOR=nano visudo

The user may wish to perform sudo commands without being prompted for a password. Open the /etc/sudoers file to do so:

visudo

Towards the end of the document, type the following:

/etc/sudoers
username  ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL

Then exit the editor and save your work. Ensure that “username” is replaced with the username you want to provide access.

Another common example is allowing the user to perform just a limited number of tasks with the command sudo. You may use the following command to restrict access to just two commands: mkdir and rmdir.

/etc/sudoers
username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:/bin/mkdir,/bin/rmdir

Create a new file in the /etc/sudoers.d directory with authorisation rules instead of updating the sudoers file. This will achieve the same thing as modifying it directly. Rule addition is similar to that of a sudoers file:

echo "username  ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL" | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/username

This method makes it easier to keep the sudo privileges. The file’s name is irrelevant. The name is typically the same as the user’s login name.

Conclusion

Adding a user to the “sudo” group is all that is required to provide that user with sudo privileges in Ubuntu; the process is quite straightforward.

Feel free to leave a comment below with any queries you may have.

The sudo command is designed to allow users to run programs with the security privileges of another user, by default the root user.

In this tutorial, we’ll teach you how to create a new user on an Ubuntu system with sudo access. You may then use this user account to run administrative commands on your Ubuntu server without having to log in as root.

Prerequisites

Make sure you’ve installed Ubuntu correctly, follow this guide if you need to do it still!

• Root Access
• Ubuntu Server installed

Steps to Create a Sudo User

Follow the steps below to create a new user account and give it sudo access. If you want to configure sudo for an existing user, skip to step 3.

1. Log in to your server.

Log in to your system as the root user:

ssh root@server_ip_address

2. Create a new user account.

Create a new user account using the adduser command. Don’t forget to replace username with the username that you want to create:

adduser username

You will be prompted to set and confirm the new user password. Make sure that the password for the new account is as strong as possible.

Adding user `username' ...
Adding new group `username' (1001) ...
Adding new user `username' (1001) with group `username' ...
Creating home directory `/home/username' ...
Copying files from `/etc/skel' ...
New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: password updated successfully

Once the password has been entered, the command will create a home directory for the user, copy numerous configuration files to the home directory, and prompt you to provide the new user’s details. If you prefer to accept the defaults and leave all of this information blank, simply hit ENTER.

Changing the user information for username
Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default
    Full Name []:
    Room Number []:
    Work Phone []:
    Home Phone []:
    Other []:
Is the information correct? [Y/n]

3. Add the new user to the sudo group

By default, on Ubuntu systems, members of the group sudo are granted with sudo access. To add the user you created to the sudo group, use the usermod command:

usermod -aG sudo username

Test the access

Switch to the newly created user:

su - username

Use sudo to run the whoami command:

sudo whoami

If the user has sudo access then the output of the whoami command will be “root”:

root

How to use sudo

To use sudo, simply prefix the command with sudo and space:

sudo ls -l /root

The first time you use sudo in a session, you will be prompted to enter the user password:

[sudo] password for username:

Conclusion

You have learned how to create a user with sudo privileges. You can now log in to your Ubuntu server with this user account and use sudo to run administrative commands.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.

Adding and deleting ubuntu user accounts is one of the first steps when configuring a new Ubuntu system. Each user may have unique permission levels and settings for command-line and graphical user interface apps.

This article describes how to create and delete Ubuntu user accounts.

Before You Begin

Make sure you’ve installed Ubuntu correctly, follow this guide if you need to do it still!

Only root or users with sudo permissions may create or delete users..

There are two methods to create new users:

1. Using the terminal.
2. Using the GUI.

Adding a User from the Command Line

You may create a new user account in Ubuntu using one of two command-line tools called useradd or adduser. Both of these tools are available to you.

useradd is a fundamental tool.

adduser is a Perl script that was designed to serve as a user-friendly and interactive interface for the useradd command.

Invoking the adduser command followed by the username is all that is required to create a new user in a flash and with no effort. For instance, if you wanted to establish a new ubuntu user account and give it the name username, you would run:

sudo adduser username

Adding user `username' ...
Adding new group `username' (1001) ...
Adding new user `username' (1001) with group `username' ...
Creating home directory `/home/username' ...
Copying files from `/etc/skel' ...

There will be a number of questions directed at you. Please enter the new user password and confirm it. It is not required that you provide a response to any of the other questions.

Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully
Changing the user information for username
Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default
	Full Name []:
	Room Number []:
	Work Phone []:
	Home Phone []:
	Other []:
Is the information correct? [Y/n]

You will be asked to verify the accuracy of the information that you supplied before the process is complete.

The command will establish a home directory for the new ubuntu user and then transfer files from the /etc/skel directory into it. The user has the ability to create, modify, and remove files and folders while working inside their home directory.

You need to add the new user to the sudo group in order for the user to have the ability to carry out administrative responsibilities:

sudo usermod -aG sudo username

Add a User Via the Graphical User Interface (GUI)

You may create a new user account using the GUI if you are uncomfortable working with the command line. To do this, please proceed as outlined below:

1. Launch the window that controls the settings, then go to the “Users” tab.
2. To unlock your account, click the option labelled “Unlock,” and then enter your user password when required to do so.
3. When you have successfully entered the correct password, the “Unlock” button will transform into a green “Add User” button.
4. When you choose the “Add User” option from the drop-down menu, the Add user dialogue box will display.
5. Enter details about the new user after selecting whether they should be a normal user or an administrative user. After you have finished, click the “Add” button.

Deletion of a User from the Command Line

In Ubuntu, you can use two commands to delete a user account: userdel and its interactive frontend deluser.

To delete the user, invoke the deluser command and pass the username as the argument:

sudo deluser username

The command above will not remove the user files.

If you want to delete the user and its home directory and mail spool, use the --remove-home flag:

sudo deluser --remove-home username

Removing a User through the GUI

1. Open the settings window and click on the “Users” tab.
2. Click on the “Unlock” button, and enter your user password when prompted.
3. Click on the username you want to delete, and you will see a red “Remove User..” button in the bottom right corner.
4. Click the “Remove User..” button, and you will be prompted whether to keep or delete the user home directory. Clicking on one of those buttons removes the user.

Conclusion

Managing user accounts in Ubuntu is a fundamental skill for system administrators and power users alike. Whether you prefer the command-line interface or the graphical user interface, Ubuntu provides straightforward methods for adding and removing user accounts.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can efficiently create new user accounts, granting them appropriate permissions and access levels. Remember to use strong passwords and consider adding users to the sudo group only when necessary for administrative tasks.

When it comes to removing user accounts, exercise caution and always double-check before proceeding, especially when deleting home directories. This ensures that important data isn’t accidentally lost during the process.

FAQ

Q: Can I change a user’s password after creating their account?
A: Yes, you can change a user’s password using the passwd command followed by the username. For example: sudo passwd username

Q: How can I view a list of all users on my Ubuntu system?
A: You can view a list of all users by examining the /etc/passwd file. Use the command: cat /etc/passwd

Q: Is it possible to create a user without a home directory?
A: Yes, when using the useradd command, you can add the -M flag to create a user without a home directory. For example: sudo useradd -M username

Q: Can I delete a user account without deleting their home directory?
A: Yes, using the deluser command without the –remove-home flag will delete the user account but leave their home directory intact.

Q: How do I change a user’s default shell?
A: You can change a user’s default shell using the chsh command. For example: sudo chsh -s /bin/bash username

Q: Is it possible to create a user with a specific user ID (UID)?
A: Yes, you can specify a UID when creating a user with the useradd command by using the -u flag. For example: sudo useradd -u 1500 username