Configuring for Adding Users

This will make sure each user is set up appropriately with the correct group memberships, as well as copy the appropriate template of files from /etc/skel to each new user's home directory.

Create a base /etc/default/useradd:

cat > /etc/default/useradd << "EOF"
GROUP=1000
HOME=/home
INACTIVE=-1
EXPIRE=
SHELL=
SKEL=/etc/skel
EOF

Add the default group that new users will become automatic members of:

groupadd -g 1000 users

Complete the EXPIRE and SHELL entries of /etc/default/useradd based on the current environment:

/usr/sbin/useradd -D -s/bin/bash

Create the /etc/skel directory:

mkdir /etc/skel

Copy any personal settings you want to be applied upon user creation in this directory.

Create the adduser script and give it executable permissions:

cat > /usr/sbin/adduser << "EOF"
#!/bin/sh
useradd -m $1
passwd $1
gpasswd -a $1 users
gpasswd -a $1 audio
EOF
chmod +x /usr/sbin/adduser

Note

The above script adds new users to the users and audio groups. If you are in a hardened security environment, simply omit creating the script at all.