Chapter 11: Setting Up and Supporting Users

Overview

In This Chapter

• Creating user accounts

• Setting user defaults

• Creating portable desktops

• Providing support to users

• Deleting user accounts

• Checking disk quotas

• Sending mail to all users

One of the more fundamental tasks of administering a Linux system is setting up and supporting user accounts. Computers, after all, are tools to be used by people. Apocalyptic science fiction plots aside, computers have no purpose without users.

When you install Fedora or RHEL, you are required to create the root (administrator) user account. The first time you boot Fedora or RHEL, you are asked to create a regular user account, using any name you choose. Several other administrative user accounts that you will probably never use directly are set up automatically.

Cross-Reference 

For a description of the root user account and how to use it, see Chapter 10.

This chapter discusses the basics of setting up a user account and offers tips on easing the burden of supporting a large number of Linux users.