Linux usermod Command: Changing User Settings

The usermod command in Linux modifies the settings of a specific user account.

It accepts the following options:

• -d home_directory: This option provides the full path of the user's home directory;
• -c "user's name": This option writes to the passwd file the name of the account owner or any other important remark and comment;
• -g group_number: This option provides the default group of the user's account;
• -s shell: This option must provide the full path of the shell used by the account. For example /bin/bash, /bin/tcsh, /bin/false, etc;
• -L: Locks the user account by adding the "!" sign to the password;
• -U: Unlocks the user account, removing the "!" sign from the password.
• -e 2019-12-31:  Indicates that the account should be deactivated on December 31, 2019. The format must be YYYY-MM-DD.

Examples:

Changes the comment, with the user name Arthur:

# usermod –c “Arthur Ribeiro” arthur

Locks the user account analima on the system no longer allowing logon:

# usermod –L analima

Expires the user account arthur on October 31, 2019:

# usermod -e 2019-10-31 arthur

You can confirm the expiration date of an account with the chage command using the "-l" option:

# chage -l arthur Last password change                                : Oct 17, 2019Password expires                                    : neverPassword inactive                                   : neverAccount expires                                     : Oct 31, 2019Minimum number of days between password change      : 0Maximum number of days between password change      : 99999Number of days of warning before password expires   : 7

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