Your Webhosting Questions
Answered by the Webhosting Experts
Tags
...
...

How to Remove or Delete a User in Linux

As Linux is a multi-user system, and often the basis for large digital infrastructure, it is likely that many companies and organizations using Linux have multiple users who can access and modify it. What happens if you need to remove one of these users from your system? How do you delete a user in Linux?

Whether you’re new to Linux or a long-time user in need of a quick refresher, read on to learn how to remove or delete users in Linux.

 

How to Delete a User in Linux

To remove a user in Linux, just follow these 4 steps:

  1. First, make sure you’re logged in as root user or another user with sudo access. Only users with the proper permissions may remove other users.
     
  2. To delete a user in Linux, simply use the userdel command followed by the name of the user you are removing. So, if you were attempting to delete a user name User1, you would enter the following into the terminal:
     
    userdel User1
     
    Screenshot showing the results of the userdel User1 command.
     
  3. The userdel command can only be used to remove a user who is not logged in or the owner of any currently running processes. You can add the -f (Force) option to userdel to stop all running processes and force the removal.
     
    userdel -f User1
     
    Screenshot showing the results of the userdel -f User1 command.
     
  4. Lastly, to remove a user, their home directory, and their mail spool, you can use the following command:
     
    sudo userdel -r User1
     
    Screenshot showing the results of the sudo userdel -r User1 command.

And there you have it! Now you can easily remove or delete users from Linux using the userdel command.

 

Popular Links

Looking for more information on Linux? Search our Knowledge Base!

Interested in more articles about Operating Systems? Navigate to our Categories page using the bar on the left or check out these popular articles:

Popular tags within this category include: Linux, Windows, Apache, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, RedHat, and more.

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Use the search bar at the top to search our entire Knowledge Base.

 

The Hivelocity Difference

Seeking a better Dedicated Server solution? In the market for Private Cloud or Colocation services? Check out Hivelocity’s extensive list of products for great deals and offers.

With best-in-class customer service, affordable pricing, a wide-range of fully-customizable options, and a network like no other, Hivelocity is the hosting solution you’ve been waiting for.

Unsure which of our services is best for your particular needs? Call or live chat with one of our sales agents today and see the difference Hivelocity can make for you.

Need More Personalized Help?

If you have any further issues, questions, or would like some assistance checking on this or anything else, please reach out to us from your my.hivelocity.net account and provide your server credentials within the encrypted field for the best possible security and support.

If you are unable to reach your my.hivelocity.net account or if you are on the go, please reach out from your valid my.hivelocity.net account email to us here at: support@hivelocity.net. We are also available to you through our phone and live chat system 24/7/365.

Tags +
...