Chapter 4: User and Group Administration

Overview

SOLARIS 9 EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED IN THIS CHAPTER:

• Identify the main components of a user account, identify the system files that store account information, and explain what information is stored in each file.

• Explain how to manage user accounts and describe system-wide initialization files.

• Identify the procedures and commands, variables, or permissions to monitor and control system access, switch users on a system, and restrict access to data in files.

Users are one of the most critical components of any Solaris system. When the system is booted, you must log in to use resources. To log in, you provide a valid username and password. Every time you attempt to access a system resource, you user account is checked for appropriate permissions. All resources in Solaris must have an owner, and without users, there are no owners. Solaris is a multiuser environment, meaning that multiple users can be created (and indeed should be created), and multiple users can be logged in to the same system at one time.

Groups are designed to make system administration easier. Groups are not used to log in to a system, as that's what users are for, but every user account belongs to at least one group. Assigning resource access to groups makes security administration easier than assigning permissions directly to users. Anything that makes administration more convenient is a good thing.

When a user logs in to Solaris, they are assigned a shell. Shells define the command environment for users. Depending on the shell you are using, commands will be processed in a different manner. Commands or variables used in one shell might or might not work in another.

In this chapter, you'll examine user and group management, including graphical and command-line options for management. Additionally, this chapter covers some features and options of different shells used in Solaris.