removeuser(8)removeuser(8)NAMEremoveuser - Deletes user accounts interactively
SYNOPSIS
/usr/sbin/removeuser
DESCRIPTION
Security Note
If you have enhanced security installed on your system, you should use
the dxaccounts command to remove users. See the Security manual and the
dxaccounts(8) reference page for more information.
The removeuser command is an interactive command for deleting user
accounts from your system. It also gives the option of deleting the
user's home directory, files and mail. The command prompts you for
specific information and informs you of its activity and error condi‐
tions.
The removeuser command invokes /usr/sbin/userdel to delete the user
account information from /etc/passwd and the hashed password database
(if present).
Only the superuser can execute this command.
The command performs the following tasks: Asks for a login name for the
user to be deleted. Enter the login name. If this entry does not
exist in the /etc/passwd file, the command informs you of this and
exits. If the entry does exist, the command continues. Displays the
entry for the user from the /etc/passwd file and asks if this is the
entry you want to delete. If the answer to this query is no, the com‐
mand indicates that the user was not deleted and then exits. If the
answer to this query is yes, the command deletes the user's entry from
the /etc/passwd file and any occurrences of the user from the
/etc/group file. It then states that the user was deleted. Searches
several administrative directories and files for occurrences of the
user and informs you if they exist. If so, it suggests that you may
want to delete these occurrences when the command is finished. If no
occurrences of the user are found in these directories and files, the
command indicates so. Asks if you want to delete the home directory,
all subdirectories, and all mail files for the user. If the answer to
this query is no, the command indicates that the user's home directory
was not deleted and then exits. If the answer to this query is yes,
the command continues.
As a precaution, the command reminds you that you should have
backed up the files for the user before removing them if you do
not want to lose them. It then asks if you are sure that you
want to delete the files for this user. If the answer to this
query is no, the command indicates that the user's home direc‐
tory was not deleted and then exits. If the answer to this
query is yes, the command states that it is removing the user's
home directory, its contents and the user's mail file. It then
deletes these items.
At this point, the command ends.
NOTES
Users are advised to migrate to the /usr/sbin/userdel utility or the
dxaccounts utility as this command may be removed in a future version
of the operating system.
EXAMPLES
Enter a login name to be removed or <Return> to exit: john This is the
entry for (john) in the /etc/passwd file:
john:VSh6/xbMqPDcY:5006:15:sdf:/usr/users/john:
Is this the entry you want to delete (y/n)? y Working ... Entry for
(john) removed. Searching relevant directories and files for (john)
... None found. Do you want to remove the home directory, all subdi‐
rectories, files, and mail for (john) (y/n)? y The files for (john)
will be lost if not backed up. Are you sure you want to remove these
files (y/n)? y Deleting /usr/users/john Deleting /usr/spool/mail/john
FILES
Specifies the command path Group file Password file
SEE ALSO
Commands: addgroup(8), adduser(8), dxaccounts(8), finger(1),
mkpasswd(8), passwd(1), useradd(8), userdel(8), vipw(8)
Files: group(4), passwd(4)removeuser(8)
