User Creation with Custom UID

linux

foundations

user-management

Creating users with specific UIDs and custom home directories in Linux

Published

January 25, 2026

User Creation with Custom UID

Scenario: First Day at xFusionCorp

You just started as a Junior System Administrator at xFusionCorp Industries. On your first day, the Lead SysAdmin assigns you a task:

“The web development team needs a user named javed to deploy their application on server stapp02. They need UID 1467 and the home directory must be at /var/www/javed. The lead developer is waiting. Can you do it?”

🧠 Understanding the Architecture

Before creating users, you must understand how Linux manages them internally.

The /etc/passwd File

Every user in Linux is defined by a line in /etc/passwd:

username:password:UID:GID:comment:home_directory:shell

Example:

javed:x:1467:1467::/var/www/javed:/bin/bash

Key Insight: The UID is the user’s true identifier. Linux doesn’t say “user javed accessed”; it says “UID 1467 accessed”. Names are just human labels.

Why UID 1467?

In large organizations, UIDs are assigned by ranges:

0-99: System users (root, bin, daemon)
100-999: Service accounts (nginx, mysql, docker)
1000+: Regular human users
10000+: Specific applications

🛠️ Implementation

Step 1: Access the Server

# Connect via SSH
ssh steve@172.16.238.11

# Escalate to root
sudo su -

Step 2: Verification

Always verify the current state before making changes:

# Check if user already exists
id javed

# Check if UID 1467 is already in use
grep "1467" /etc/passwd

# Verify /var/www/ exists
ls -ld /var/www/

Step 3: Create the User

useradd -u 1467 -d /var/www/javed -m javed

Command breakdown:

Option	Meaning	Why We Use It
`-u 1467`	Specify UID	Development team requirement
`-d /var/www/javed`	Custom home	Web application standard
`-m`	Create home directory	User needs a workspace
`javed`	Username	Human identifier

Step 4: Set Password

passwd javed

Security Best Practice: In production, configure SSH key authentication and disable password login: passwd -l javed

Step 5: Verification

# Verify user exists with correct UID
id javed
# Expected: uid=1467(javed) gid=1467(javed) groups=1467(javed)

# Verify home directory
ls -la /var/www/javed

# Verify we can switch to user
su - javed
pwd  # Should show: /var/www/javed

✅ Verification Checklist

User exists in /etc/passwd
UID is exactly 1467
GID matches UID
Home directory exists at /var/www/javed
Permissions are javed:javed
Configuration files copied (bashrc, etc.)
Can execute su - javed without errors

🚀 Next Steps

Explore variations of useradd:

# Service account (no login)
useradd -r -s /sbin/nologin mysql

# Add to secondary groups
useradd -G developers,deployers -m javed

# Account with expiration date
useradd -e 2025-12-31 -m contractor1

📚 Resources

man useradd - Complete command documentation
man usermod - User modification
/etc/passwd format - Understanding the 7 fields

✅ Status

COMPLETED 🎉

Date: 2026-01-25
Time: 10-15 minutes
Level: Linux Administration Fundamentals
Skills: User Management, SSH, Verification

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