Linux User Accounts Quiz

A user account provides security boundaries between individuals and running programs on a Linux system. It allows for unique identification and control over access to resources.

A unique numerical identifier assigned to each user account, used by the system to differentiate between users.

A secret code used to authenticate user identity, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access their account.

A fundamental concept in system security, establishing the ownership of processes and files, thereby controlling access based on the user associated with them.

The primary administrative account on a Linux system, with complete control over all aspects of the system, including user management and file access.

User accounts used by system processes providing essential services, such as network management or printing. They run with limited privileges to ensure system security.

User accounts designed for everyday tasks and personal use, granted limited access to the system for security reasons.

A command used to display information about the currently logged-in user or a specified user.

The superuser account in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, having full control over the system.

A command used to switch to a different user account in Linux.

A variation of the 'su' command that starts a login shell.

The act of granting a regular user temporary root privileges.

A command that allows users to run specific commands with root privileges.

Normal users can manage removable devices such as USB drives.

Root users can manage hard drives by default.

Only root can access and control certain system devices.

The process of verifying a user's identity by comparing the cryptographic hash of the entered password against the stored hash in the /etc/shadow file.

A random string of characters added to a user's password before hashing, making it harder to crack.

A special algorithm used to generate a unique digital fingerprint for a given password.

The process of setting rules and restrictions for how long a password can be used before requiring a change.

A command-line tool for managing user password policies.

The minimum number of days a password must be in use before it can be changed.

The maximum number of days a password can be used before it must be changed.

The number of days before a password expires, a warning message is displayed to the user.

This command changes a user's password settings, including maximum age. The format is chage -M <days> <username>.

This command displays the expiration settings of a user's password. The format is chage -l <username>.

Use the chage -d 0 <username> command to force a password change on the first login. This ensures a user is prompted to choose a new password right away upon logging in. This prevents accidental use of previously weak passwords.

The maximum number of days a password can be used before it must be changed.

Use the date -d "<number> days" +%F command to calculate the specified date. The +%F format outputs the date in Year-Month-Day.

The minimum number of days a user must wait before they can change their password again.

The chage -E <date> <username> command sets the expiration of a user account. The date format should be Year-Month-Day.

The minimum number of characters allowed in a password.

The number of days in advance a user is warned that their password is going to expire.

This command displays information about a user's account. The format is chage -l <username>.

The default password policy applies only to new user accounts. Existing users are not affected by these settings.

A group designed to supplement the main group membership, allowing users to perform specific tasks, such as using sudo for root privileges.

Allows users to customize password expiration policies on a per-user basis, overriding the default settings.

A password policy is a set of rules and guidelines that are designed to ensure the strength and security of passwords. This includes requirements like minimum length, complexity, and frequency of changes.

The chage command is used to modify the password aging settings for a specific user account.

The -E option with chage is used to set the expiration date for a user's password.

The -M option with chage is used to set the maximum number of days a user can keep their password before being forced to change it.

The -d option with chage is used to force a user to change their password on their next login.

The date command with the option -d +90 days calculates the date 90 days in the future. This is useful for setting account expiration dates.

The passwd command is used to modify a user's password.

A password must meet certain criteria to be considered secure. These criteria may include factors such as length, complexity, and the absence of common patterns.