Ubuntu list users

In Ubuntu, there are two types of user accounts:

1. Root user: Also known as the superuser, the root account has unrestricted access to all commands and files on the system. Used to perform administrative tasks.

2. Regular user: Standard user accounts created for users interacting with the system. Regular users usually have limited permissions, which increases security by preventing unauthorized access to critical system functions.

Listing users

There are many ways to list users in Ubuntu. One approach is to examine the contents of the /etc/passwd file. This file stores essential user account information, including usernames, user IDs (UIDs), group IDs (GIDs), home directories, and shell preferences.

Use this terminal to enter commands throughout this Answer:

In the terminal above, enter the following command:

This command can be explained as follows:

• cut: Used to extract sections from each line of files.

• -d:: The delimiter, which is a colon (:) character.

• -f1: The field to extract, which in this case is the first field containing usernames.

• /etc/passwd: Path to the file containing user information.

The execution of this command will display a list of usernames registered on our system.

Aside from parsing the /etc/passwd file, Ubuntu has another method to list users. Enter this command in the terminal above:

The getent command retrieves entries from databases, including the user database.

The final method uses the awk command to extract and print specific fields from the /etc/passwd file. To print only the usernames, enter this command:

Conclusion

Managing user accounts is essential for maintaining the security and functionality of an Ubuntu system. By understanding how to list users, system administrators gain insight into the user accounts registered on their system, facilitating effective user management.