Managing UNIX Users and Groups#

In this lab, you will create and manage user accounts, and practice common services required to administer users on a shared Linux VM. These activities include:

  • Creating Groups

  • Creating User Accounts

  • Resetting a forgotten password

  • Modifying a user’s uid or gid

  • Locking an account

  • Customizing a login environment

  • Deleting a user Account

Note

Do this lab on the base vm.

Grade Script#

This project comes with a grading script written by my predecessor Jim Griffin. You can find the script in the cis-91 repository bin/ directory. You can run it directly from the command line:

$ cis-91/bin/user_accounts_and_groups.sh

Creating Groups#

Create four new groups for your computer with the following names and group IDs:

  • cis191: 1201

  • hobbits: 1600

  • elves: 1700

  • dwarves: 1800

  • wizards: 1900

Creating User Accounts#

Create five new user accounts using the following names and information:

  • User: cis191

    • UID: 1201

    • GID: 1201

    • Full name: CIS191

    • Add this account to the wizards group

  • User: frodo

    • UID: 1601

    • GID: 1600

    • Full name: Frodo Baggins

  • User gollum

    • UID: 1602

    • GID: 1600

    • Full name: Smeagol

  • User: legolas

    • UID: 1701

    • GID: 1700

    • Full name: Legolas of Mirkwood

  • User: gimli

    • UID: 1801

    • GID: 1800

    • Full name: Gimli son of Gloin

The password for all of the above accounts should be Cabri11o. Do not create private groups for users other than cis191, but do take in the following considerations:

  • Gollum wants his home directory to be named /home/smeagol

  • All home directories should be created in the /home directory.

  • Legolas wants his shell to be zsh

  • Gimli doesn’t want to have a password. (If you can grant his wish, do so.)

Be sure you can login to each account.

Resetting a forgotten password#

Frodo forgot his password. You must reset it to Baggins and force him to change it the next time he logs in.

Modifying a user’s name/identity#

  • Change Frodo’s GID to be the users group, but make sure he retains his membership in the hobbit group.

  • Legolas wants his username changed to glorfindel

  • Gimli needs his UID changed to 1800. (Make certain that Gimli can still log in and access and create files after this change has been made.

Locking an Account#

Glorfindel (a.k.a. Legolas) has been engaged in suspicious activity. You must lock his account.

Customizing a login environment#

  • Edit the /etc/issue file so that the first line says “Middle Earth Linux 1.0.”.

  • Edit the /etc/motd file to include an announcement that this class is CIS 191 and that all activity on this computer is closely monitored.

  • Gimli is confused by all the messages that come to the screen when he logs on. Configure his account so that no messages are displayed on the screen when he logs in. Hint: search for hush login using Google.

Deleting a user Account#

Gollum has passed away, and his account must be removed. However, do not remove his home directory until you archive it to the /var/preserve directory and name it gollum.tar.

Turn In#

Run the program, user_accounts_and_groups.sh until you are satisfied with the results. Take a screenshot and submit the file on Canvas.