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I cross posted this question to AskUbuntu because my problem seems most acute on Debian/Ubuntu, but it was suggested that I ask here. Whatever method is suggested for solving this problem should work on most distros (e.g., openSuse & Ubuntu). Here's the script code I'm using now:

getent group $MYGROUP
if [ $? -ne 0 ] ; then
    sudo su -c "groupadd $MYGROUP"
fi
sudo su -c "useradd mynewuser -p mypassword -m -g $PRIMARYGRP -G $MYGROUP"

There are several problems with the user account it creates on Ubuntu.

  • the terminal prompt isn't set (echo $PS1 returns nothing)
  • the arrow keys and tab key do not work correctly in the terminal
  • the password doesn't seem to work (although I'm still unclear exactly what this issue is)
  • the /etc/sudoers rights set for this new user are not honored

If instead I manually create the user with adduser (instead of useradd) I don't have these problems. But I need a non-Debian-exclusive script or method of adding user accounts via my bash script.

I also had a previous question on this topic, but it was different enough that it is not relevant to this problem.

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MountainX
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2 Answers2

8

The problem is that the default shell for a new user on Debian is /bin/sh so most of the features you're used to from bash aren't there. Try adding -s /bin/bash to your useradd command.

You can also change the default shell permanently by editing /etc/default/useradd.

Edit:

The solution to automatically modify the password (as found by MountainX) is here

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Joseph R.
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  • thanks I will add that. I also need to solve the [skeleton files issue](http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/82928/15010). – MountainX Jul 13 '13 at 20:30
  • @MountainX Have you made sure that the `.bashrc` file hasn't been copied correctly? I have seen the behavior you describe on Debian before: `.bashrc` is copied correctly but is never used since the default shell is `/bin/sh` not `/bin/bash`. Just try setting the shell to `/bin/bash` and I bet most of your issues will disappear. – Joseph R. Jul 13 '13 at 20:37
  • @MountainX For reference purposes, though, the skeleton directory on Debian is `/etc/skel` – Joseph R. Jul 13 '13 at 20:47
  • Solution Summary: for the password problem, this solution works: http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/57806/15010. For the cursor key and prompt problems, adding `-s /bin/bash` to my existing useradd command works. The .bashrc files is indeed already present. I wish I could select both the answers by @UlrichSchwarz and @Joseph. – MountainX Jul 13 '13 at 20:55
  • @MountainX Answer updated to add your solution to the password issue. – Joseph R. Jul 13 '13 at 21:03
3

The cursor key and prompt problems sound like the skeleton files are not copied properly. Does the new user's home directory have a .bashrc?

As to the password, man useradd on Slack tells me

-p, --password PASSWORD The encrypted password, as returned by crypt(3). The default is to disable the password.

so you're probably not supposed to put the plaintext password there. I can't find a convenient way to call crypt manually right now, though, so maybe you'll need an extra call to sudo passwd $mynewuser.

Ulrich Schwarz
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  • thank you! Do you have any idea where the SKEL files are that are used by default by Ubuntu with the adduser script (as opposed to useradd)? – MountainX Jul 13 '13 at 20:29
  • @MountainX: I'm not a Debian/Ubuntu person, try `/etc/skel` or `/etc/skel.d` maybe? – Ulrich Schwarz Jul 13 '13 at 20:31
  • what do you think of this answer? http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/57806/15010 Should I try that? – MountainX Jul 13 '13 at 20:35
  • Can't hurt to try. :) – Ulrich Schwarz Jul 13 '13 at 20:38
  • Hmmm... I wonder if `mkpasswd(1)` would help instead of `crypt`. It is Debian/Ubuntu-specific, though – Joseph R. Jul 13 '13 at 20:38
  • Solution Summary: for the password problem, this solution works: http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/57806/15010. For the cursor key and prompt problems, adding `-s /bin/bash` to my existing useradd command works. The .bashrc files is indeed already present. I wish I could select both the answers by @UlrichSchwarz and @Joseph. – MountainX Jul 13 '13 at 20:55