User Account Configuration

Nearly every important file on a Linux system is owned by a single user and group: root. The root account is essential to the security of any Linux system. Having all of the important executable and configurations files on the system owned by root means that only the root user may alter the way the system works. Other users have no permission to execute or change system files, and therefore, they cannot modify or damage the system.

As such, it is critical that the root password be kept secret, and changed as often as is practical. A clumsy or malicious individual with the system's root password could render the entire system inoperative in a matter of seconds. Every EMAC Linux system ships from the factory with the same root password. EMAC recommends you change the root password after your first login.

Use the passwd utility to change the root password as illustrated below:

root@emac-oe:~# passwd
Changing password for root
New password:
Retype password:
Password for root changed by root

To change the password for the user, either login as user and use the passwd utility as shown above, or use the command passwd user when logged in as root.

If desired, additional users may be added to the system. The following example demonstrates the process for creating a user named "test":

root@emac-oe:~# adduser test
Changing password for test
New password:
Retype password:
Password for test changed by root