Linux User Management Quiz

A collection of users who share access to files and resources.

A unique identifier assigned to a group, used by the system for internal management.

A file that stores information about local groups on a system.

The single group that a user is primarily associated with. It defines the ownership of files created by the user.

Groups created automatically when a new user is made, with the same name as the user and only the user as a member.

Groups in addition to the primary group that a user belongs to, granting additional access to files and resources.

It shows the group memberships of a user, including the primary and supplementary groups.

The sudo command allows authorized users to execute commands with elevated privileges, typically as the root user. It provides a secure and controlled way to manage system administration tasks.

The usermod command allows you to modify user account settings. Using it with the -L flag locks an account, preventing logins until unlocked.

The command sudo -i provides an interactive root shell. It switches to the root account and runs the user's default shell (usually bash).

The visudo command is used to edit the /etc/sudoers file. Using visudo ensures the file is validated and prevents syntax errors.

The /etc/sudoers file is the main configuration file for the sudo command.

A group defined within the /etc/sudoers file to grant sudo access to specific users. For example, members of the wheel group in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and later can use sudo with their own password.

The -s flag with sudo executes the specified command without interactive login scripts, allowing you to run a command in the context of another user but without going through a full interactive shell login.

The sudo command by default logs all executed commands to the /var/log/secure file for security and auditing purposes.

The maximum number of days a password can be used before it must be changed. This setting helps to enforce password security and prevent unauthorized access.

The minimum number of days that must pass before a user can change their password again. It helps to prevent excessive password changes and ensures that users don't change passwords too quickly.

This setting determines the number of days before a password expires that the user receives a warning message. It allows users to plan ahead and avoid being locked out of their account.

A file that contains the default settings for managing user accounts including password aging policies. It is a central location for configuring account security settings.

The command used in Linux systems to edit the /etc/login.defs file. It is used to set password aging policies for user accounts.

A special file that dictates which users can run commands as other users or groups on a system.

A configuration file that defines which users and groups have sudo access, what commands they can run, and with what privileges.

A command that allows a user to execute a command with elevated privileges, typically those of the root user.

It enables all users in a specific group to execute any command as any other user or group.

It allows users from a specific group to run a particular command as a specified user.

It allows a user to run any command as any user or group, without requiring a password.

An automated tool used for managing and provisioning servers, often used for cloud instances and virtual machines.

It grants the ec2-user account full passwordless sudo access, allowing it to run any command as root without entering a password.

Although secure in some contexts, granting passwordless sudo access is potentially risky. Always take precautions to protect the account and limit access.

The command sudo su - elevates the user to root privileges in a new login shell. It provides a separate environment with root permissions, allowing for system-wide operations.

The command id displays the user and group information of the current user. It provides details like the user ID (UID), group ID (GID), group memberships, and security context.

The pwd command displays the current working directory of the user. It shows the absolute path of the directory where the user is currently located, which is the starting point for navigating the file system.

The environment variable HOME represents the home directory of the user. It is the default location for the user's files, configuration settings, and other personal data.

The environment variable PATH defines the search path for executable files. It lists the directories where the system will look for commands when a user executes a program.

When using sudo, the PATH environment variable might be overwritten for security reasons. This ensures that the user cannot execute commands from untrusted directories after gaining root privileges.

The command exit terminates the current shell session. Upon execution, the user is returned to the previous shell or logged out, depending on the context.

The echo command displays the value of a variable or string. It is useful for viewing the content of environment variables or printing text to the console.

The su command allows switching to another user's shell. However, to become root, you usually need to use sudo su -, which requires authentication as the original user.

The shell prompt indicates the current user and host, providing context about the current environment. It helps users to understand where they are operating from.