source: postlfs/config/skel.xml@ 0290a023

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<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.3//EN"
   "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.3/docbookx.dtd" [
  <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../../general.ent">
  %general-entities;
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<sect1 id="postlfs-config-skel" xreflabel="Configuring for Adding Users">
<sect1info>
<othername>$LastChangedBy$</othername>
<date>$Date$</date>
</sect1info>
<?dbhtml filename="skel.html"?>
<title>Configuring for Adding Users</title>
<indexterm zone="postlfs-config-skel">
<primary sortas="e-etc-skel">/etc/skel/*</primary></indexterm>
<indexterm zone="postlfs-config-skel">
<primary sortas="e-etc-default-useradd">/etc/default/useradd</primary>
</indexterm>

<para>Together, the <command>/usr/sbin/useradd</command> command and
<filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> directory (both are easy to 
setup and use) provide a way to assure new users are added on your 
<acronym>LFS</acronym> system with the same beginning settings for things 
like <envar>PATH</envar>, keyboard processing and environmental variables. 
Using these two facilities makes it easier to assure this initial state for 
each new user.</para>

<para>The <filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> directory holds 
copies of various initialization and other files that may be copied to the 
new user's home directory when the <command>/usr/sbin/useradd</command> 
program adds the new user.</para>

<para><emphasis>Useradd</emphasis></para>

<para>The <command>useradd</command> program uses a collection of
default values kept in <filename>/etc/default/useradd</filename>,
if it exists.  If the file does not exist, then it uses some internal
defaults.  You can see the default values by running 
<command>/usr/sbin/useradd -D</command>.</para>

<para>To change these values to something new, create a base <filename>
/etc/default/useradd</filename> file with the same values as the output of 
<command>/usr/sbin/useradd -D</command>.  Here is a sample.</para>

<screen># Begin /etc/default/useradd

GROUP=100
HOME=/home
INACTIVE=-1
EXPIRE=
SHELL=
SKEL=/etc/skel

# End /etc/default/useradd</screen>

<para>The only thing missing from the file is a default shell.  Add that
by running:</para>

<screen><userinput><command>/usr/sbin/useradd -D -s/bin/bash</command></userinput></screen>

<para>This will set the <envar>SHELL</envar>= line to 
<envar>SHELL</envar>=/bin/bash.</para>

<para><command>Useradd</command> has many parameters that
can be set in the <filename>/etc/default/useradd</filename> file.</para>

<para>For more information see <command>man useradd</command>.</para>

<para><emphasis>/etc/skel</emphasis></para>

<para>To get started, create an 
<filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> directory and make sure it is 
writable only by the system administrator, usually root. Creating the 
directory as root is the best way to go.</para>

<para>The mode of any files from this part of the book that you put in
<filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> should be writable only by 
the owner. Also, since there is no telling what kind of sensitive information 
a user may eventually place in their copy of these files, you should
make them unreadable by "group" and "other".</para>

<para>You can also put other files in 
<filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> and
different permissions may be needed for them.</para>

<para>Decide which initialization files should be provided in every (or most)
new user's home directory. The decisions you make will affect what you
do in the next two sections, <xref linkend="postlfs-config-profile"/> and 
<xref linkend="postlfs-config-vimrc"/>. Some or all of those files will be
useful for root, any already-existing users, and new users.</para>

<para>The files from those sections that you might want to place in
<filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> include
<filename>.inputrc</filename>, <filename>.bash_profile</filename>,
<filename>.bashrc</filename>, <filename>.bash_logout</filename>,
<filename>.dircolors</filename>, and <filename>.vimrc</filename>. If
you are unsure which of these should be placed there, just continue to
the following sections, read each section and any references provided,
and then make your decision.</para>

<para>You will run a slightly modified set of commands for files which
are placed in <filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename>. Each section 
will remind you of this. In brief, the book's commands have been written for 
files <emphasis>not</emphasis> added to 
<filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> and just send the results to 
the user's home directory. If the file is going to be in 
<filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename>, change the book's command(s) 
to send output there instead and then just copy the file from
<filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> to the appropriate 
directories, like <filename class="directory">/etc</filename>, 
<filename class="directory">~</filename> or the home directory 
of any other user already in the system.</para>

<para><emphasis>When Adding a User</emphasis></para>

<para>When adding a new user with <command>useradd</command>, use
the <option>-m</option> parameter, which tells
<command>useradd</command> to create the user's home directory and
copy files from <filename class="directory">/etc/skel</filename> (can be 
overridden) to the new user's home directory.  For example:</para>

<screen><command>useradd -m jwrober</command></screen>

</sect1>