Adding Linux Users
In Linux, there are multiple ways to add users. You are going to do it two ways. First,
you are going to use the GUI to add a user. It is easy and it is more like Windows. Then,
you are going to remotely connect to the Linux computer. When you logon remotely, you
just have a shell prompt no GUI available. You have to use the command-line version
of adding a user this time.
DELIVERABLES:
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Launch the Linux + XP environment.
To add a user using the GUI:
1. Click the red hat->System Settings->Users And Groups
2. Click the Add User button in the upper left.
3. Fill in the following information:
User Name: mnoia
Full Name: Mary Noia
Password and Confirm Password: Password%
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Notice that it is going to create a home directory at /home/mnoia
Click OK.
Click on mnoia on the main pane and then click Properties
Click the Account Info tab. Note that you can set an expiration date and lock the
account.
Click the Password Info tab. Note that the password settings are similar to those
that you saw in the Group Policy lab assignment.
Click Cancel to exit the Properties window
Click File->Quit to exit the User window
Now that we have a user, we want to be able to log on to the Linux computer from
Windows. There are two typical methods used to log on to Linux. The first is telnet.
Unfortunately, telnet is not secure. All data, including the user name and password, is
sent in clear text, meaning that anyone could capture the packets and see your password.
Because of this, telnet is disabled by default. The other way to log on is to use secure
shell. However, Windows does not support secure shell so we will have to download a
commonly used utility called PuTTY.
To find the IP address of the Linux computer:
1. Click the red hat->System Tools->Terminal
2. Type: ifconfig
There are FIVE IP addresses on this screen and only ONE will work.
3. Scroll up to the top of the ifconfig command. You will see on the left eth0
4. On the line below eth0, write the IP address that is to the right of inet addr:
To download and run PuTTY:
1. In the upper left, click Lab->Switch To->WinXP
2. Log on with a password of: password
3. Open the browser and type a URL of: google.com
4. Search for: putty.exe
5. Click the first link which is: PuTTY Download Page
6. Scroll down until you see a link for putty.exe
7. Click on the link.
8. Save it to the desktop with the default name.
9. Close the download window the and browser.
To login to Linux from Windows:
1. Double-click on putty which should be on the desktop. The PuTTY
Configuration window opens.
2. In the Host Name (or IP address) text box, type the IP address of the Linux
computer that you wrote down above.
3. Click the Open button.
4. The PuTTY Security Alert dialog box opens. Click Yes.
5. You should see the Login as:. Whether you do or dont, start typing: root
6. After you press Enter, it asks for the password. Type: password
(The cursor will NOT move)
7. Now you should see the familiar # prompt.
To create a user based on your name from the command-line:
1. You dont have the GUI available so you have to use the command-line.
2. Type: useradd followed by a user name based on your own name.
3. To create a password for the user, type passwd followed by the user name you
just created.
4. Create a password that Linux likes. For example, if you try to create a password
called password, Linux will complain BAD PASSWORD. Yes, it will still
create the password but we want to make it more secure. Keep repeating step 3
until it doesnt complain about your password. Hint: Dont use recognizable
words.
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5. Type: exit
Use PuTTY to log on as the user you just created. THIS IS TRICKY SO BE
CAREFUL! When you click the Open button, there is a good chance that the screen
will NOT display anything. Start typing your user name and Login as: will then
appear. The same thing could happen after you press Enter to type your password.
Just start typing your password. Remember that the cursor will not move as you type
the password.
Create a text file using the vi editor. Again, we cant use a fancy GUI editor because
we only have a command line.
1. Type: vi test.txt
2. Press the I key. Notice that in the lower left it states that you are in the Insert
mode.
3. Type: Hello, World!
4. Press the Esc key to exit the Insert mode.
5. Type the following to save the file and exit the vi editor:
:wq
6. Type the following to verify that the file is there:
ls
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Check what you have done on the Linux computer
1. Go back to the Linux computer.
2. Remember when you looked at the user properties for mnoia? Do the same thing
with the user you created from XP.
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3. Note the location of the home directory.
4. At a terminal prompt, use the ls command followed by the location of the home
directory to display the contents.
Insert a screen-shot of the result