The Software Developer's Guide to Linux

7

Users and Groups

In this chapter, we’ll be taking a look at two of the building blocks that Linux uses to manage resources and maintain security: users and groups. After learning the basics and covering a very special user, root, we’ll show you how the concept of Linux user groups adds a convenient layer on top of the user abstraction.

Once we’ve covered the necessary theory, you’ll jump directly into the practical commands you need to create and modify users and groups. And, in a stunning triumph that will pay dividends if it ever comes up in an interview, you’ll see for yourself what a Linux user is actually made of (hint: it’s just three lines of plaintext).

By the end of this chapter, you’ll:

• Understand what users are and what they’re ...