This short tutorial shows you how to add Linux user using CLI.

useradd Command Syntax

You can add users using useradd command.

Usage: useradd [options] LOGIN

Options:
  -b, --base-dir BASE_DIR       base directory for the home directory of the
                                new account
  -c, --comment COMMENT         GECOS field of the new account
  -d, --home-dir HOME_DIR       home directory of the new account
  -D, --defaults                print or change default useradd configuration
  -e, --expiredate EXPIRE_DATE  expiration date of the new account
  -f, --inactive INACTIVE       password inactivity period of the new account
  -g, --gid GROUP               name or ID of the primary group of the new
                                account
  -G, --groups GROUPS           list of supplementary groups of the new
                                account
  -h, --help                    display this help message and exit
  -k, --skel SKEL_DIR           use this alternative skeleton directory
  -K, --key KEY=VALUE           override /etc/login.defs defaults
  -l, --no-log-init             do not add the user to the lastlog and
                                faillog databases
  -m, --create-home             create the user's home directory
  -M, --no-create-home          do not create the user's home directory
  -N, --no-user-group           do not create a group with the same name as
                                the user
  -o, --non-unique              allow to create users with duplicate
                                (non-unique) UID
  -p, --password PASSWORD       encrypted password of the new account
  -r, --system                  create a system account
  -s, --shell SHELL             login shell of the new account
  -u, --uid UID                 user ID of the new account
  -U, --user-group              create a group with the same name as the user
  -Z, --selinux-user SEUSER     use a specific SEUSER for the SELinux user mapping

Command Usage

To add an user account use the command below.
Note : You must be logged in as root user (or use “sudo su” command)

Add user named testuser01 with “Test User 1″ as its “Display Name”
-m switch will create user’s home directory

root@ubuntu:~# useradd -c "Test User 1" -m testuser01

Now set the password for user account

root@ubuntu:~# passwd testuser01
Enter new UNIX password: 
Retype new UNIX password: 
passwd: password updated successfully
root@ubuntu:~#

Verification

Check if the newly created user is in the passwd file

root@ubuntu:~# tail -n 1 /etc/passwd
testuser01:x:1001:1001:Test User 1:/home/testuser01:/bin/sh

The password is stored as SHA512 format in shadow file

root@ubuntu:~# tail -n 1 /etc/shadow
testuser01:$6$9R0tTLo7$ZD32rIGGbUTac0Ump7JL.O18tUIoNRtvSYTuwao0Pe7ZFqiKwk3nnbR5PWU4w1an7MgCdmVouHkj.d0soyYka1:15108:0:99999:7:::

Verify that the home directory exists

root@ubuntu:~# ls /home
test  testuser01

Summary

This tutorial covered basics of user creation in Linux with appropriate home directory. I have used Ubuntu for this demo, but this same commands can be used in any other distributions.