Managing Users and Hostname on Ubuntu Server

Tutorial: Managing Users and Hostname on Ubuntu

1. Change Hostname

To change the hostname of your system:

1. Edit the hostname file:

   sudo nano /etc/hostname
   

   Replace the existing name with your new hostname.

2. Edit the hosts file:

   sudo nano /etc/hosts
   

   Update the line that starts with 127.0.1.1 to reflect the new hostname.

3. Apply the changes:

   sudo systemctl restart systemd-logind.service
   

2. Rename a User

To rename a user:

1. Rename the user:

   sudo usermod -l new_username old_username
   

2. Rename the home directory (if needed):

   sudo usermod -d /homes/new_username -m new_username
   

3. Give Sudo Privileges to a User

To add a user to the sudo group:

sudo usermod -aG sudo username

4. Add a New User

To add a new user with a home directory in /homes:

1. Create the directory (if it doesn’t exist):

   sudo mkdir -p /homes
   

2. Add the user:

   sudo useradd -m -d /homes/new_user -s /bin/bash new_user
   

3. Set a password:

   sudo passwd new_user
   

5. Set Permissions for Home Directories

Ensure home directories are secure:

1. Set permissions:

   sudo chmod 700 /homes/new_user
   

2. Set ownership:

   sudo chown new_user:new_user /homes/new_user
   

Summary

• Change hostname by editing /etc/hostname and /etc/hosts.
• Rename users with usermod.
• Grant sudo access by adding the user to the sudo group.
• Add new users with custom home directories in /homes.
• Set appropriate permissions for security.

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!