1useradd(1M) System Administration Commands useradd(1M)
2
6 useradd - administer a new user login on the system
7
9 useradd [-A authorization [,authorization...]]
10 [-b base_dir] [-c comment] [-d dir] [-e expire]
11 [-f inactive] [-g group] [-G group [,group]...]
12 [-K key=value] [-m [-k skel_dir]] [-p projname]
13 [-P profile [,profile...]] [-R role [,role...]]
14 [-s shell] [-u uid [-o]] login
15 useradd -D [-A authorization [,authorization...]]
18 [-b base_dir] [-s shell [-k skel_dir]] [-e expire]
19 [-f inactive] [-g group] [-K key=value] [-p projname]
20 [-P profile [,profile...]] [-R role [,role...]]
21
24 useradd adds a new user to the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow and
25 /etc/user_attr files. The -A and -P options respectively assign autho‐
26 rizations and profiles to the user. The -R option assigns roles to a
27 user. The -p option associates a project with a user. The -K option
28 adds a key=value pair to /etc/user_attr for the user. Multiple
29 key=value pairs may be added with multiple -K options.
30 useradd also creates supplementary group memberships for the user (-G
33 option) and creates the home directory (-m option) for the user if
34 requested. The new login remains locked until the passwd(1) command is
35 executed.
36 Specifying useradd -D with the -s, -k,-g, -b, -f, -e, -A, -P, -p, -R,
39 or -K option (or any combination of these options) sets the default
40 values for the respective fields. See the -D option, below. Subsequent
41 useradd commands without the -D option use these arguments.
42 The system file entries created with this command have a limit of 2048
45 characters per line. Specifying long arguments to several options can
46 exceed this limit.
47 useradd requires that usernames be in the format described in
50 passwd(4). A warning message is displayed if these restrictions are not
51 met. See passwd(4) for the requirements for usernames.
52
54 The following options are supported:
55 -A authorization
57 One or more comma separated authorizations defined in auth_attr(4).
59 Only a user or role who has grant rights to the authorization can
60 assign it to an account.
61 -b base_dir
64 The base directory for new login home directories (see the -d
66 option below. When a new user account is being created, base_dir
67 must already exist unless the -m option or the -d option is also
68 specified.
69 -c comment
72 Any text string. It is generally a short description of the login,
74 and is currently used as the field for the user's full name. This
75 information is stored in the user's /etc/passwd entry.
76 -d dir
79 The home directory of the new user. It defaults to
81 base_dir/account_name, where base_dir is the base directory for new
82 login home directories and account_name is the new login name.
83 -D
86 Display the default values for group, base_dir, skel_dir, shell,
88 inactive, expire, proj, projname and key=value pairs. When used
89 with the -g, -b, -f, -e, -A, -P, -p, -R, or -K options, the -D
90 option sets the default values for the specified fields. The
91 default values are:
92 group
94 other (GID of 1)
96 base_dir
99 /home
101 skel_dir
104 /etc/skel
106 shell
109 /bin/sh
111 inactive
114 0
116 expire
119 null
121 auths
124 null
126 profiles
129 null
131 proj
134 3
136 projname
139 default
141 key=value (pairs defined in user_attr(4)
144 not present
146 roles
149 null
151 -e expire
155 Specify the expiration date for a login. After this date, no user
157 will be able to access this login. The expire option argument is a
158 date entered using one of the date formats included in the template
159 file /etc/datemsk. See getdate(3C).
160 If the date format that you choose includes spaces, it must be
162 quoted. For example, you can enter 10/6/90 or October 6, 1990. A
163 null value (" ") defeats the status of the expired date. This
164 option is useful for creating temporary logins.
165 -f inactive
168 The maximum number of days allowed between uses of a login ID
170 before that ID is declared invalid. Normal values are positive
171 integers. A value of 0 defeats the status.
172 -g group
175 An existing group's integer ID or character-string name. Without
177 the -D option, it defines the new user's primary group membership
178 and defaults to the default group. You can reset this default value
179 by invoking useradd -D -g group. GIDs 0-99 are reserved for alloca‐
180 tion by the Solaris Operating System.
181 -G group
184 An existing group's integer ID or character-string name. It defines
186 the new user's supplementary group membership. Duplicates between
187 group with the -g and -G options are ignored. No more than
188 NGROUPS_MAX groups can be specified. GIDs 0-99 are reserved for
189 allocation by the Solaris Operating System.
190 -K key=value
193 A key=value pair to add to the user's attributes. Multiple -K
195 options may be used to add multiple key=value pairs. The generic -K
196 option with the appropriate key may be used instead of the specific
197 implied key options (-A, -P, -R, -p). See user_attr(4) for a list
198 of valid key=value pairs. The "type" key is not a valid key for
199 this option. Keys may not be repeated.
200 -k skel_dir
203 A directory that contains skeleton information (such as .profile)
205 that can be copied into a new user's home directory. This directory
206 must already exist. The system provides the /etc/skel directory
207 that can be used for this purpose.
208 -m
211 Create the new user's home directory if it does not already exist.
213 If the directory already exists, it must have read, write, and exe‐
214 cute permissions by group, where group is the user's primary group.
215 -o
218 This option allows a UID to be duplicated (non-unique).
220 -P profile
223 One or more comma-separated execution profiles defined in
225 prof_attr(4).
226 -p projname
229 Name of the project with which the added user is associated. See
231 the projname field as defined in project(4).
232 -R role
235 One or more comma-separated execution profiles defined in
237 user_attr(4). Roles cannot be assigned to other roles.
238 -s shell
241 Full pathname of the program used as the user's shell on login. It
243 defaults to an empty field causing the system to use /bin/sh as the
244 default. The value of shell must be a valid executable file.
245 -u uid
248 The UID of the new user. This UID must be a non-negative decimal
250 integer below MAXUID as defined in <sys/param.h>. The UID defaults
251 to the next available (unique) number above the highest number cur‐
252 rently assigned. For example, if UIDs 100, 105, and 200 are
253 assigned, the next default UID number will be 201. UIDs 0-99 are
254 reserved for allocation by the Solaris Operating System.
255
258 /etc/datemsk
259 /etc/passwd
262 /etc/shadow
265 /etc/group
268 /etc/skel
271 /usr/include/limits.h
274 /etc/user_attr
277
279 See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
280 ┌─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┐
285 │ ATTRIBUTE TYPE │ ATTRIBUTE VALUE │
286 ├─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┤
287 │Availability │SUNWcsu │
288 ├─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┤
289 │Interface Stability │Committed │
290 └─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘
291
293 passwd(1), profiles(1), roles(1), users(1B), groupadd(1M),
294 groupdel(1M), groupmod(1M), grpck(1M), logins(1M), pwck(1M),
295 userdel(1M), usermod(1M), getdate(3C), auth_attr(4), passwd(4),
296 prof_attr(4), project(4), user_attr(4), attributes(5)
297
299 In case of an error, useradd prints an error message and exits with a
300 non-zero status.
301 The following indicates that login specified is already in use:
304 UX: useradd: ERROR: login is already in use. Choose another.
306 The following indicates that the uid specified with the -u option is
311 not unique:
312 UX: useradd: ERROR: uid uid is already in use. Choose another.
314 The following indicates that the group specified with the -g option is
319 already in use:
320 UX: useradd: ERROR: group group does not exist. Choose another.
322 The following indicates that the uid specified with the -u option is in
327 the range of reserved UIDs (from 0-99):
328 UX: useradd: WARNING: uid uid is reserved.
330 The following indicates that the uid specified with the -u option
335 exceeds MAXUID as defined in <sys/param.h>:
336 UX: useradd: ERROR: uid uid is too big. Choose another.
338 The following indicates that the /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow files do
343 not exist:
344 UX: useradd: ERROR: Cannot update system files - login cannot be created.
346
350 The useradd utility adds definitions to only the local /etc/group,
351 etc/passwd, /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, /etc/project, and /etc/user_attr
352 files. If a network name service such as NIS or NIS+ is being used to
353 supplement the local /etc/passwd file with additional entries, useradd
354 cannot change information supplied by the network name service. However
355 useradd will verify the uniqueness of the user name (or role) and user
356 id and the existence of any group names specified against the external
357 name service.
358SunOS 5.11 19 Feb 2008 useradd(1M)