How to Create a User and Assign Permissions: A Friendly Step-by-Step Guide

Ever wondered how to create a new user on your system and give them the right permissions? I’ve been there! It’s one of those tasks that sounds way more complicated than it is. But trust me, this trick is a lifesaver once you get the hang of it! So, let’s dive into this with a casual chat-style.

So are you ready?

Step 1: Open Your Terminal (Don’t Be Intimidated!)

First thing’s first; you’ll want to open up your terminal. If you’ve never used it before, it might seem a bit intimidating, but it’s honestly just like texting your computer. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the terminal.
2. Or, you can search for “Terminal” in your system’s applications. Okay, let me explain, first of all from the navigation bar click on “Show Apps” option and then you will get the applications menu, now search for the “terminal” and open it.

Pro tip: If you’ve never used the terminal before, think of it like sending direct instructions to your computer. Once you get used to it, you’ll feel like a tech wizard!

Step 2: Creating the User (Easy Peasy)

Now that your terminal is open, it’s time to create the new user. You’ll just need one command for this. Here’s how to do it:

1. In the terminal, type:

sudo adduser newusername

(Replace newusername with whatever name you want for the user.)

2. You’ll be asked to enter your password. This is just to make sure you have permission to make changes.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions; it’ll ask you for some info like full name, room number (you can leave this blank), etc. Just hit Enter to skip the ones you don’t need.

Personal tip: I’ve done this myself a hundred times, and honestly, I only ever fill in the username and password. Keep it simple! And yes, sometimes name also.

Step 3: Setting Permissions (Making Them the Boss or the Helper)

So, now you’ve created the user. Awesome! But what’s next? Permissions! This is where you decide what your new user can do. Do you want them to have full control, or just limited access?

To make the user an administrator:

1. In the terminal, type:

sudo usermod -aG sudo newusername

This command adds the new user to the sudo group, which is like giving them all the keys to the house. They can make system changes, install apps, and basically do anything an admin can do.

To give them limited permissions:

1. If you want the user to have more restricted access (say, just a standard user for regular tasks), you don’t need to do anything extra. By default, they’ll have basic permissions.

Quirky insight: I’ve messed this part up before, giving someone too many permissions when all they needed was to check emails and browse the web. Lesson learned; be cautious when handing out admin privileges!

Well, if don’t know about user and file permission in Ubuntu the you can read or article on it and learn it – Complete Guide to File Permissions in Ubuntu. Anyways, here also i would like to share some information about it so that you can learn whatever you need to know right now.

Step 4: Setting Up Folder Permissions (Let Them Access Only What They Need)

Okay, so the user is set up, and permissions are sorted. But what if you want them to access specific folders? Maybe you want them to only work in certain directories—totally possible!

Here’s how you can give the new user access to a specific folder:

1. Let’s say the folder you want to share is /home/shared. You would run:

sudo chown newusername /home/shared

2. If you want to let them read and write to the folder, but not have full control:

sudo chmod 755 /home/shared

Translation: In non-technical terms, this just means you’re telling your computer who can access what. Simple, right?

Step 5: Verifying the User’s Permissions (Just to Be Sure)

Last step! Now that everything is set up, it’s always a good idea to double-check the permissions to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

1. Type the following command:

groups newusername

2. This will show you all the groups the user is part of, so you can verify whether they have sudo access or just basic user permissions.

Real-Life Example: Why This Matters

I once had a friend who needed help managing a shared project folder. We gave everyone full permissions at first—big mistake! People accidentally deleted important files. So, we learned our lesson and set more limited permissions for non-admin users. It saved us a lot of headaches later on!

FAQs: Your Questions Answered!

Q1: What happens if I skip setting permissions?

Skipping permissions means your user will have default access, which might be fine for basic tasks. But if they need admin rights or access to specific files, you’ll have to adjust their permissions later. No worries, though—you can always go back and change it!

Q2: Can I delete a user if I don’t need them anymore?

Yep! Just run the following command to remove a user:

sudo deluser newusername

This won’t delete their files—just the user itself. If you want to remove everything, you can add --remove-home at the end of the command.

Q3: What if I forget to add the user to the sudo group?

No big deal! Just type:

sudo usermod -aG sudo newusername

And boom—they’ll have admin rights. You can do this anytime!

Conclusion: Now It’s Your Turn!

And that’s it! You’ve successfully created a new user and assigned the right permissions. Whether it’s for a family member, a colleague, or just another account for yourself, you’ve got the power to control access and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Feel free to experiment with different permissions based on what the user needs. You’ve got this.