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Home > Cloud & Networking > Servers > Mastering Ubuntu Server
Mastering Ubuntu Server
Mastering Ubuntu Server

Mastering Ubuntu Server: Upgrade your Ubuntu skills

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Mastering Ubuntu Server

Chapter 2. Managing Users

As an administrator of an Ubuntu Server, users can be your greatest asset and also your biggest headache. During your career you'll add countless new users, manage their passwords, remove their accounts when they leave the company, and grant or remove access to resources across the file-system. Even on servers on which you're the only user, you'll still find yourself managing user accounts since even system processes run as users. To be successful at managing Linux servers, you'll also need to know how to manage permissions, create password policies, and limit who can execute administrative commands on the machine. In this chapter, we'll work through these concepts so that you'll have a clear idea of how to manage users and their resources. In particular, we will cover:

  • Understanding when to use root
  • Creating and removing users
  • Understanding the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files
  • Distributing default configuration files with ...

Understanding when to use root

In the last chapter, we set up our very own Ubuntu Server installation. During the installation process, we were instructed to create a user account as an administrator of the system. So, at this point, we should have two users on our server. We have the aforementioned administrative user, as well as root. We can certainly create additional user accounts with varying levels of access (and we will do so in this chapter), but before we get to that, some discussion is in order regarding the administrator account you created, as well as the root user that was created for you.

In regards to root, the root user account exists on all Linux distributions and is the most powerful user account on the planet. The root user account can be used to do anything, and I do mean anything. Want to use root to create files and directories virtually anywhere on the file-system? No problem. Want to use root to install software? Again, not a problem. The root account can even be...

Creating and removing users

Creating users in Ubuntu can be done with one of either of two commands: adduser and useradd. This can be a little confusing at first, because both of these commands do the same thing (in different ways) and are named very similarly. I'll go over the useradd command first and then I'll explain how adduser differs. You may even prefer the latter, but we'll get to that in a moment.

First, here's an example of the useradd command in action:

# useradd -d /home/jdoe -m jdoe

Note

As I mentioned in the front matter for this book, whenever I prefix commands with a pound symbol (#), I'm instructing you to execute the command as root. You can use the actual root account for these types of commands or you can simply prefix the command with sudo. In the latter case, the command would become:

# sudo useradd -d /home/jdoe -m jdoe

I won't remind you of this henceforth, so just keep in mind commands prefixed with # need to be executed as root or with...

Understanding the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files

Now that we know how to create (and delete) user accounts on our server, we are well on our way to being able to manage our users. But where exactly is this information stored? We know that users store their personal files in /home, but is there some kind of database somewhere that keeps track of which user accounts are on our system? Actually, user account information is stored in two special text files: /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow.

You can display the contents of each of those two files with the following commands. Take note that any user can look at the contents of /etc/passwd, while only root has access to /etc/shadow:

# cat /etc/passwd
# cat /etc/shadow

Go ahead and take a look at these two files (just don't make any changes), and I will help you understand them. First, let's go over the /etc/passwd file. What follows is example output from this file on my test server. For brevity, I limited the output to the last seven lines...

Distributing default configuration files with /etc/skel

In a typical organization, there are usually some defaults that are recommended for users in terms of files and configuration. For example, in a company that performs software development, there are likely recommended settings for text editors and version control systems. Files that are contained within /etc/skel are copied into the home directory for all new users when you create them (assuming you've chosen to create a home directory while setting up the user).

In fact, you can see this for yourself right now. If you execute the following command, you can view the contents of the /etc/skel directory:

ls -la /etc/skel

You probably already know how to list files within a directory, but I specifically called out the -a parameter because the files included in /etc/skel by default are hidden (their file names begin with a period). I threw the -l parameter solely because I like it better (it shows a long list, which I think is easier...

Switching between users

Now that we have several users on our system, we need to know how to switch between them. Of course, you can always just log in to the server as one of the users, but you can actually switch to any user account at any time providing you either know that user's password or have root access.

The command you will use to switch from one user to another is the su command. If you enter su with no options, it will assume that you want to switch to root and will ask you for your root password. As I mentioned earlier, Ubuntu locks out the root account by default, so you really don't have a root password. Unlocking the root account is actually really simple; all you have to do is create a root password. To do that, you can execute the following command as any user with sudo access:

sudo passwd

The command will ask you to create and confirm your root password. From this point on, you will be able to use the root account as any other account. You can log in as root,...

Understanding when to use root

In the last chapter, we set up our very own Ubuntu Server installation. During the installation process, we were instructed to create a user account as an administrator of the system. So, at this point, we should have two users on our server. We have the aforementioned administrative user, as well as root. We can certainly create additional user accounts with varying levels of access (and we will do so in this chapter), but before we get to that, some discussion is in order regarding the administrator account you created, as well as the root user that was created for you.

In regards to root, the root user account exists on all Linux distributions and is the most powerful user account on the planet. The root user account can be used to do anything, and I do mean anything. Want to use root to create files and directories virtually anywhere on the file-system? No problem. Want to use root to install software? Again, not a problem. The root account can even be used...

Creating and removing users

Creating users in Ubuntu can be done with one of either of two commands: adduser and useradd. This can be a little confusing at first, because both of these commands do the same thing (in different ways) and are named very similarly. I'll go over the useradd command first and then I'll explain how adduser differs. You may even prefer the latter, but we'll get to that in a moment.

First, here's an example of the useradd command in action:

# useradd -d /home/jdoe -m jdoe

Note

As I mentioned in the front matter for this book, whenever I prefix commands with a pound symbol (#), I'm instructing you to execute the command as root. You can use the actual root account for these types of commands or you can simply prefix the command with sudo. In the latter case, the command would become:

# sudo useradd -d /home/jdoe -m jdoe

I won't remind you of this henceforth, so just keep in mind commands prefixed with # need to be executed as root or with the prefix sudo.

In this example...

Understanding the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files

Now that we know how to create (and delete) user accounts on our server, we are well on our way to being able to manage our users. But where exactly is this information stored? We know that users store their personal files in /home, but is there some kind of database somewhere that keeps track of which user accounts are on our system? Actually, user account information is stored in two special text files: /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow.

You can display the contents of each of those two files with the following commands. Take note that any user can look at the contents of /etc/passwd, while only root has access to /etc/shadow:

# cat /etc/passwd
# cat /etc/shadow

Go ahead and take a look at these two files (just don't make any changes), and I will help you understand them. First, let's go over the /etc/passwd file. What follows is example output from this file on my test server. For brevity, I limited the output to the last seven lines:

testuser...

Distributing default configuration files with /etc/skel

In a typical organization, there are usually some defaults that are recommended for users in terms of files and configuration. For example, in a company that performs software development, there are likely recommended settings for text editors and version control systems. Files that are contained within /etc/skel are copied into the home directory for all new users when you create them (assuming you've chosen to create a home directory while setting up the user).

In fact, you can see this for yourself right now. If you execute the following command, you can view the contents of the /etc/skel directory:

ls -la /etc/skel

You probably already know how to list files within a directory, but I specifically called out the -a parameter because the files included in /etc/skel by default are hidden (their file names begin with a period). I threw the -l parameter solely because I like it better (it shows a long list, which I think is easier to read...

Switching between users

Now that we have several users on our system, we need to know how to switch between them. Of course, you can always just log in to the server as one of the users, but you can actually switch to any user account at any time providing you either know that user's password or have root access.

The command you will use to switch from one user to another is the su command. If you enter su with no options, it will assume that you want to switch to root and will ask you for your root password. As I mentioned earlier, Ubuntu locks out the root account by default, so you really don't have a root password. Unlocking the root account is actually really simple; all you have to do is create a root password. To do that, you can execute the following command as any user with sudo access:

sudo passwd

The command will ask you to create and confirm your root password. From this point on, you will be able to use the root account as any other account. You can log in as root, switch to root...

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Key benefits

  • Get well-versed with newly-added features in Ubuntu 16.04
  • Master the art of installing, managing, and troubleshooting Ubuntu Server
  • A practical easy-to-understand book that will help you enhance your existing skills.

Description

Ubuntu is a Debian-based Linux operating system, and has various versions targeted at servers, desktops, phones, tablets and televisions. The Ubuntu Server Edition, also called Ubuntu Server, offers support for several common configurations, and also simplifies common Linux server deployment processes. With this book as their guide, readers will be able to configure and deploy Ubuntu Servers using Ubuntu Server 16.04, with all the skills necessary to manage real servers. The book begins with the concept of user management, group management, as well as file-system permissions. To manage your storage on Ubuntu Server systems, you will learn how to add and format storage and view disk usage. Later, you will also learn how to configure network interfaces, manage IP addresses, deploy Network Manager in order to connect to networks, and manage network interfaces. Furthermore, you will understand how to start and stop services so that you can manage running processes on Linux servers. The book will then demonstrate how to access and share files to or from Ubuntu Servers. You will learn how to create and manage databases using MariaDB and share web content with Apache. To virtualize hosts and applications, you will be shown how to set up KVM/Qemu and Docker and manage virtual machines with virt-manager. Lastly, you will explore best practices and troubleshooting techniques when working with Ubuntu Servers. By the end of the book, you will be an expert Ubuntu Server user well-versed in its advanced concepts.

Who is this book for?

This book is intended for readers with intermediate or advanced-beginner skills with Linux, who would like to learn all about setting up servers with Ubuntu Server. This book assumes that the reader knows the basics of Linux, such as editing configuration files and running basic commands.

What you will learn

  • Learn how to manage users, groups, and permissions
  • Encrypt and decrypt disks with Linux Unified Key Setup /Luks
  • Setup SSH for remote access, and connect it to other nodes
  • Understand how to add, remove, and search for packages
  • Use NFS and Samba to share directories with other users
  • Get to know techniques for managing Apache and MariaDB
  • Explore best practices and troubleshooting techniques

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Jul 27, 2016
Length: 430 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785284526
Vendor :
Canonical
Category :
Cloud & Networking
Concepts :
Servers
Tools :
Ubuntu Server

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Product Details

Publication date : Jul 27, 2016
Length: 430 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781785284526
Vendor :
Canonical
Category :
Cloud & Networking
Concepts :
Servers
Tools :
Ubuntu Server

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Table of Contents

15 Chapters
1. Deploying Ubuntu Server Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
1. Deploying Ubuntu Server
Setting up our lab
Determining your server's role
Obtaining Ubuntu Server
Deciding between 32-bit and 64-bit installations
Creating a bootable Ubuntu Server flash drive (Windows)
Creating a bootable Ubuntu Server flash drive (Linux)
Creating a bootable Ubuntu Server flash drive (Mac)
Planning the partition layout
Installing Ubuntu Server
Installing Ubuntu Server (Raspberry Pi)
Summary
2. Managing Users Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Managing Users
Understanding when to use root
Creating and removing users
Understanding the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files
Distributing default configuration files with /etc/skel
Switching between users
Managing groups
Managing passwords and password policies
Configuring administrator access with sudo
Setting permissions on files and directories
Summary
3. Managing Storage Volumes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Managing Storage Volumes
Viewing disk usage
Adding additional storage volumes
Partitioning and formatting volumes
Mounting and unmounting storage volumes
Understanding the /etc/fstab file
Managing swap
Utilizing LVM volumes
Using symbolic and hard links
Summary
4. Connecting to Networks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Connecting to Networks
Setting the hostname
Managing network interfaces
Assigning static IP addresses
Understanding Linux name resolution
Understanding Network Manager
Getting started with OpenSSH
Getting started with SSH key management
Simplifying SSH connections with a ~/.ssh/config file
Summary
5. Managing Software Packages Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Managing Software Packages
Understanding Linux package management
Installing and removing software
Searching for packages
Managing software repositories
Keeping your server up to date
Backing up and restoring packages
Making use of aptitude
Installing Snap packages
Summary
6. Controlling and Monitoring Processes Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Controlling and Monitoring Processes
Showing running processes with the ps command
Managing jobs
Killing misbehaving processes
Utilizing htop
Managing system processes
Monitoring memory usage
Scheduling tasks with Cron
Understanding load average
Summary
7. Managing Your Ubuntu Server Network Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Managing Your Ubuntu Server Network
Planning your IP address scheme
Serving IP addresses with isc-dhcp-server
Setting up name resolution (DNS) with bind
Creating a secondary DNS server
Setting up an Internet gateway
Keeping your system clock in sync with NTP
Summary
8. Accessing and Sharing Files Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Accessing and Sharing Files
File server considerations
Sharing files with Windows users using Samba
Setting up NFS shares
Transferring files with rsync
Transferring files with SCP
Mounting remote filesystems with SSHFS
Summary
9. Managing Databases Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Managing Databases
Preparations for setting up a database server
Installing MariaDB
Taking a look at MariaDB configuration
Understanding how MariaDB differs in Ubuntu 16.04
Managing databases
Setting up a slave DB server
Summary
10. Serving Web Content Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Serving Web Content
Installing and configuring Apache
Installing additional Apache modules
Securing Apache with SSL
Setting up high availability with keepalived
Installing and configuring ownCloud
Summary
11. Virtualizing Hosts and Applications Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. Virtualizing Hosts and Applications
Setting up a virtual machine server
Creating virtual machines
Bridging the virtual machine network
Creating, running, and managing Docker containers
Summary
12. Securing Your Server Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
12. Securing Your Server
Lowering your attack surface
Securing OpenSSH
Installing and configuring Fail2ban
MariaDB best practices
Setting up a firewall
Encrypting and decrypting disks with LUKS
Locking down sudo
Summary
13. Troubleshooting Ubuntu Servers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
13. Troubleshooting Ubuntu Servers
Evaluating the problem space
Conducting a root-cause analysis
Viewing system logs
Tracing network issues
Troubleshooting resource issues
Diagnosing defective RAM
Summary
14. Preventing and Recovering from Disasters Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
14. Preventing and Recovering from Disasters
Preventing disasters
Utilizing Git for configuration management
Implementing a backup plan
Creating system images with Clonezilla live
Utilizing bootable recovery media
Summary
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index

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Kinger Nov 29, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Really an excellent tutorial on setting up and managing Ubuntu servers. I've subscribed to many online courses (assorted Udemy, Linux Academy subscription, Linux Foundation...) and this book has gotten me working and understanding much more quickly than the rest. Examples are very clear and the writing style is engaging, not the typical dry delivery of a lot of books on this topic. Highly recommended!
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Amazon Customer Jul 16, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
One of the best Linux server books I have read. Very thorough and detailed.This book is never on the shelf in the ops room and is always on someone's desk with the pages opened or has taken it home or is sitting in the server room next to a keyboard.Covers new OS issues.I have also seen some of Jay's work on Kubernetes, Sonatype, security, and AWS and found it a guide to survival in DevOps/DevSecOps world. I hope Jay will publish something in these areas as well in the future. Even a short guide or how to.
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klikmaker Oct 09, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I've never bought or read any of Jay LaCroix's books before, but based on the strength of his video tutorials I thought this would be a good buy. I mean, if a complete noob and dope like me can install Arch Linux from a guy's tutorials, a book by the same person should be good, right?The answer is: yup, right, definitely. I'm about 20% through the book and am certain I made a good choice. I have found everything to be clear, understandable, relevant, relatable, and jam-packed with good old common sense.It's an interesting experience in that his writing style is very much like his speaking style. I can practically hear his tutorial voice in my head as I read, and, as I intimated, that voice has been instrumental in me learning many Linux-esque things I otherwise would not have. (I wonder if he somehow "speaks" his books, then transcribes them?)So five stars from me. Thanks for writing this book, Jay.
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CCS4George Oct 20, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I have been in the computer industry for over 20 years and I have always been a windows person. However, over the last 5-6 years I’ve started using Linux/Ubuntu as well. I purchased this book specifically to use as a handbook and as a reference for the many areas that I’m lacking. This book fills in knowledge gaps as well as help with best practices. There is a lot more I want to explore with Ubuntu and this book will help me with that.I highly recommend this book for anyone that is just starting out, just wants to understand the basics, or for the more advanced administrators that need to keep your skills well-polished.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Mr. G. J. Sivill Dec 07, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Good text book on Ubuntu.
Amazon Verified review Amazon

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About the author

Profile icon Jay LaCroix
Jay LaCroix
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Jeremy "Jay" LaCroix is a technologist and open-source enthusiast, specializing in Linux. He has a net field experience of 20 years across different firms as a Solutions Architect and holds a master's degree in Information Systems Technology Management from Capella University. In addition, Jay also has an active Linux-focused YouTube channel with over 250K followers and over 20M views, available at LearnLinuxTV, where he posts instructional tutorial videos and other Linux-related content. He has also written Linux Mint Essentials and Mastering Linux Network Administration, published by Packt Publishing.
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