usermod(1M) System Administration Commands usermod(1M)
NAME
usermod - modify a user's login information on the system
SYNOPSIS
usermod [-u uid [-o]] [-g group] [-G group [, group...]]
[-d dir [-m]] [-s shell] [-c comment] [-l new_name]
[-f inactive] [-e expire]
[-A authorization [, authorization]]
[-P profile [, profile]] [-R role [, role]]
[-K key=value] login
DESCRIPTION
The usermod utility modifies a user's login definition on the system. It changes the definition of the specified login and makes the appro-
priate login-related system file and file system changes.
The system file entries created with this command have a limit of 512 characters per line. Specifying long arguments to several options
might exceed this limit.
OPTIONS
The following options are supported:
-A authorization
One or more comma separated authorizations as defined in auth_attr(4). Only a user or role who has grant rights to the authorization
can assign it to an account. This replaces any existing authorization setting. If no authorization list is specified, the existing set-
ting is removed.
-c comment
Specify a comment string. comment can be any text string. It is generally a short description of the login, and is currently used as
the field for the user's full name. This information is stored in the user's /etc/passwd entry.
-d dir
Specify the new home directory of the user. It defaults to base_dir/login, where base_dir is the base directory for new login home
directories, and login is the new login.
-e expire
Specify the expiration date for a login. After this date, no user will be able to access this login. The expire option argument is a
date entered using one of the date formats included in the template file /etc/datemsk. See getdate(3C).
For example, you may enter 10/6/90 or October 6, 1990. A value of `` '' defeats the status of the expired date.
-f inactive
Specify the maximum number of days allowed between uses of a login ID before that login ID is declared invalid. Normal values are posi-
tive integers. A value of 0 defeats the status.
-g group
Specify an existing group's integer ID or character-string name. It redefines the user's primary group membership.
-G group
Specify an existing group's integer "ID" "," or character string name. It redefines the user's supplementary group membership. Dupli-
cates between group with the -g and -G options are ignored. No more than NGROUPS_UMAX groups may be specified as defined in <param.h>.
-K key=value
Replace existing or add to a user's key=value pair attributes. Multiple -K options can be used to replace or add multiple key=value
pairs. However, keys must not be repeated. The generic -K option with the appropriate key can be used instead of the specific implied
key options (-A, -P, -R, -p). See user_attr(4) for a list of valid keys. Values for these keys are usually found in man pages or other
sources related to those keys. For example, see project(4) for guidance on values for the project key. Use the command ppriv(1) with
the -v and -l options for a list of values for the keys defaultpriv and limitpriv.
The keyword type can be specified with the value role or the value normal. When using the value role, the account changes from a nor-
mal user to a role; using the value normal keeps the account a normal user.
As a role account, no roles (-R or roles=value) can be present.
-l new_logname
Specify the new login name for the user. See passwd(4) for the requirements for usernames.
-m
Move the user's home directory to the new directory specified with the -d option. If the directory already exists, it must have permis-
sions read/write/execute by group, where group is the user's primary group.
-o
This option allows the specified UID to be duplicated (non-unique).
-P profile
One or more comma-separated rights profiles defined in prof_attr(4). This replaces any existing profile setting in user_attr(4). If an
empty profile list is specified, the existing setting is removed.
-R role
One or more comma-separated roles (see roleadd(1M)). This replaces any existing role setting. If no role list is specified, the exist-
ing setting is removed.
-s shell
Specify the full pathname of the program that is used as the user's shell on login. The value of shell must be a valid executable file.
-u uid
Specify a new UID for the user. It must be a non-negative decimal integer less than MAXUID as defined in <param.h>. The UID associated
with the user's home directory is not modified with this option; a user will not have access to their home directory until the UID is
manually reassigned using chown(1).
OPERANDS
The following operands are supported:
login
An existing login name to be modified.
EXAMPLES
Example 1 Assigning Privileges to a User
The following command adds the privilege that affects high resolution times to a user's initial, inheritable set of privileges.
# usermod -K defaultpriv=basic,proc_clock_highres jdoe
This command results in the following entry in user_attr:
jdoe::::type=normal;defaultpriv=basic,proc_clock_highres
Example 2 Removing a Privilege from a User's Limit Set
The following command removes the privilege that allows the specified user to create hard links to directories and to unlink directories.
# usermod -K limitpriv=all,!sys_linkdir jdoe
This command results in the following entry in user_attr:
jdoe::::type=normal;defaultpriv=basic,limitpriv=all,!sys_linkdir
Example 3 Removing a Privilege from a User's Basic Set
The following command removes the privilege that allows the specified user to examine processes outside the user's session.
# usermod -K defaultpriv=basic,!proc_session jdoe
This command results in the following entry in user_attr:
jdoe::::type=normal;defaultpriv=basic,!proc_session;limitpriv=all
Example 4 Assigning a Role to a User
The following command assigns a role to a user. The role must have been created prior to this command, either through use of the Solaris
Management Console GUI or through roleadd(1M).
# usermod -R mailadm jdoe
This command results in the following entry in user_attr:
jdoe::::type=normal;roles=mailadm;defaultpriv=basic;limitpriv=all
Example 5 Removing All Profiles from a User
The following command removes all profiles that were granted to a user directly. The user will still have any rights profiles that are
granted by means of the PROFS_GRANTED key in policy.conf(4).
# usermod -P "" jdoe
EXIT STATUS
In case of an error, usermod prints an error message and exits with one of the following values:
2
The command syntax was invalid. A usage message for the usermod command is displayed.
3
An invalid argument was provided to an option.
4
The uid given with the -u option is already in use.
5
The password files contain an error. pwconv(1M) can be used to correct possible errors. See passwd(4).
6
The login to be modified does not exist, the group does not exist, or the login shell does not exist.
8
The login to be modified is in use.
9
The new_logname is already in use.
10
Cannot update the /etc/group or /etc/user_attr file. Other update requests will be implemented.
11
Insufficient space to move the home directory (-m option). Other update requests will be implemented.
12
Unable to complete the move of the home directory to the new home directory.
FILES
/etc/group
system file containing group definitions
/etc/datemsk
system file of date formats
/etc/passwd
system password file
/etc/shadow
system file containing users' encrypted passwords and related information
/etc/user_attr
system file containing additional user and role attributes
ATTRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|Availability |SUNWcsu |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
|Interface Stability |Committed |
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------+
SEE ALSO
chown(1), passwd(1), users(1B), groupadd(1M), groupdel(1M), groupmod(1M), logins(1M), pwconv(1M), roleadd(1M), roledel(1M), rolemod(1M),
useradd(1M), userdel(1M), getdate(3C), auth_attr(4), passwd(4), policy.conf(4), prof_attr(4), user_attr(4), attributes(5)
NOTES
The usermod utility modifies passwd definitions only in the local /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files. If a network nameservice such as NIS
or NIS+ is being used to supplement the local files with additional entries, usermod cannot change information supplied by the network
nameservice. However usermod will verify the uniqueness of user name and user ID against the external nameservice.
The usermod utility uses the /etc/datemsk file, available with SUNWaccr, for date formatting.
SunOS 5.11 22 Feb 2008 usermod(1M)