In Ubuntu, the root user has full access to the system, which means that they can perform any task or modify any file without any restriction. However, giving full access to the root user can be risky, as it can lead to unintended system changes or even system failure. Therefore, it is recommended to create a sudo user in Ubuntu to manage the system’s administrative tasks while limiting the risk of system damage.
A sudo user is a regular user account that has been granted administrative privileges, allowing them to perform tasks that require root access without logging in as the root user. In this article, we will guide you on how to create a sudo user in Ubuntu.
Step 1: Log in as Root User
Before creating a sudo user, it’s essential to log in as the root user. To do this, open a terminal window and enter the following command:
sudo su -
Enter your password when prompted to gain root access.
Step 2: Create a New User
Once you have logged in as the root user, the next step is to create a new user account. You can create a new user account by running the following command:
adduser username
Here, replace the ‘username’ with the name you want to give to the new user.
You will be prompted to set a password for the new user. Enter a strong password and confirm it.
Step 3: Grant Administrative Privileges
The next step is to grant administrative privileges to the newly created user. To do this, you need to add the user to the sudo group. Run the following command to add the user to the sudo group:
usermod -aG sudo username
Here, replace ‘username’ with the name of the user you created in step 2.
Step 4: Verify Sudo User
Once you have added the user to the sudo group, you can verify whether the user has administrative privileges or not by running the following command:
su - username
Here, replace ‘username’ with the name of the user you created in step 2.
Enter the password for the user when prompted. If the password is correct, you will log in as the new user. To verify that the new user has administrative privileges, run the following command:
sudo whoami
If the user has administrative privileges, the system will return ‘root’ as the output of the command.
Conclusion
Creating a sudo user in Ubuntu is an essential step in securing your system. It allows you to delegate administrative tasks to a user account while limiting the risk of system damage. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily create a sudo user in Ubuntu and grant them administrative privileges.