Managing user accounts and groups is a fundamental aspect of system administration. In dynamic environments, such as those in software development companies, the ability to automate this process can save time and reduce errors. This article explains a Bash script designed to automate the creation of user accounts and groups based on a predefined list, ensuring each user has a secure, randomly generated password.
Understanding the Script

The script create_users.sh takes a text file as input, where each line specifies a username and associated groups, separated by a semicolon. It performs the following actions:
User and Group Creation: For each line in the input file, the script creates a user and a personal group with the same name. It also adds the user to specified groups, creating those groups if they don't already exist.

Password Management: It generates a secure, random password for each user, sets it, and stores it in a secure file, ensuring that only the root user can access it.

Logging: All actions are logged to /var/log/user_management.log, providing a clear audit trail.

Why This Approach?

This script emphasizes security and accountability. By generating random passwords and securing the password file, it ensures that user accounts are protected from the outset. Logging actions allow system administrators to track changes and troubleshoot issues.

Deployment and Usage

To use the script, simply run it as root and pass the path to your input file as an argument:
sudo bash create_users.sh usernames.txt
Ensure that your input file follows the format username;group1,group2.

Learn More

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Conclusion

Automating user and group management not only streamlines system administration tasks but also enhances security and efficiency. By leveraging simple yet powerful Bash scripts, sysadmins can ensure their systems are well-organized and secure.