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Logging-in and creating a user account

The first thing Linux requires you to do is log-in. This involves entering the name of an existing user account, followed by the password for that account.

If Linux has been setup with a graphical log-in screen you'll start in X, the Linux GUI (Graphical User Interface, pronounced gooee). If Linux has been setup with a text-only log-in screen you'll start at the console.

Consoles and terminal windows

The console is that text-only screen where white text is typed on a black background. In X the equivalent is a terminal window (sometimes called a terminal emulator).

When someone says, "Type this at the command-line," (or command-prompt, prompt, terminal, or shell-prompt), type the command at the console or in a terminal window, and press the Enter key to run the command. Most of the time it doesn't matter which of the two is used. If it does, I'll mention it.

The shell (most likely the bash shell) makes sure the command you entered makes sense, then passes it to the kernel (the core of the operating system), to be run.

Note:

To be sure you're using the bash shell, enter:

echo $SHELL

To display:

/bin/bash

If not, you can temporarily change shell, by entering:

chsh -s /bin/bash

The root account

All Linux distributions setup a special account called root during installation. Unlike ordinary user accounts which, for security reasons, restrict what you can read, alter, and run, the root account gives you access to everything.

Because being logged-in as root is both dangerous to the well-being of your Linux installation, and for the most part unnecessary, for everyday-use you should use an ordinary user account.

Note:

If your shell prompt ends with a hash/number-sign (#) you're logged-in as root. If it ends with a dollar-sign ($) you're an ordinary user.

Creating a user account

During installation you had the chance to create some user accounts, but you should know how to create others after installation.

- 1 -

Only root can create user accounts, so at the log-in prompt, enter root, followed by the root account's password, which you set during installation.

Note:

Account names, passwords, commands, filenames, and just about everything in Linux, is case-sensitive. The user root is not the user Root.

- 2 -

Throughout this book, when you're asked to enter something (like below), either enter it at the console or in a terminal window.

Enter:

adduser accountname

...replacing accountname with a name for the account.

- 3 -

Now give this new account a password by entering:

passwd accountname

...which will prompt you for a password and then again for verification.

Note:

To later change your password, enter:

passwd

...or as root, include the account name to change another account's password.

Intermediate tip:

When a new user account is created, that user's home directory gets the content of the /etc/skel ("skeleton") directory. Entering ls -a /etc/skel will list this directory's content. As root, add to this directory any files you want created, by default.

Removing a user account

To remove an account, as root, enter:

userdel john

...and to remove his home directory, enter:

rm -rf /home/john

Note:

To perform the above two commands in one step, enter:

userdel -r john

Logging-out

To log-out of an account from the console, press Ctrl+D. (Ctrl+D means hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard, and press the D key, pronounced "Control D".) In a terminal window, Ctrl+D usually closes the terminal window.

There are many GUIs available for Linux, but the two most popular are KDE and GNOME. The diagrams below shows how to logout from KDE and GNOME.

Rebooting

The simplest way to reboot (restart) a computer from the console is to press Ctrl+Alt+Delele. From the graphical log-in screen simply select the halt (shutdown) or reboot menu options.

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