changing username

[slagazor]

How insanely hard is it to rename a user?

I don't mean just creating a new user with the "right" name, but actually changing the username.

[imdeemvp]

In your fedora box or in the forum?

[slagazor]

Originally Posted by imdeemvp

In your fedora box or in the forum?

My bad, I was up late! My linux box. I know you can change just the username, but I want to change everything
username, home directory etc.


Rob

[VStrider]

login with a different user, *not* the one you want to change.
[user]$ su - (become root)

[root]#usermod -l new_name -d new_home

you're all set.

VS

[slagazor]

Originally Posted by VStrider

login with a different user, *not* the one you want to change.
[user]$ su - (become root)

[root]#usermod -l new_name -d new_home

you're all set.

VS

What are the consequences of doint that? I'm assuming I'll have to change all the scripts that point at the old username? Or will the userid stay the same?

[VStrider]

the uid will stay the same. however if you have any custom scripts that point explicitly to your previous home dir, change them to point to your new home or better make them point to it implicitly.

Edit:
also don't forget to get your hidden folders from your old dir to your new dir. they have all the settings for your programs.

[slagazor]

Originally Posted by VStrider

the uid will stay the same. however if you have any custom scripts that point explicitly to your previous home dir, change them to point to your new home or better make them point to it implicitly.

Edit:
also don't forget to get your hidden folders from your old dir to your new dir. they have all the settings for your programs.

I don't follow what you mean by point to it implicitly? You mean via the UID ?


Rob

[VStrider]

Originally Posted by slagazor

I don't follow what you mean by point to it implicitly? You mean via the UID ?


Rob

implicit paths are those paths which are based on enviroment variables.
eg. if your script points to $HOME, even if you change your home dir it'll still work, cause the variable $HOME now points to the new home path.
but if your script points to lets say /home/myuser1 (explicitly) and you change your home to /home/myuser2 your script will not work cause it'll still point to /home/user1 which doesn't exist.

i suppose system scripts, all use enviroment variables. you only need to check your own scripts.

Edit:
to see this in action, type echo $HOME and you'll see where it points to.
now when you do usermod -d newhome, do the echo $HOME again and voila it points to your new home.

[slagazor]

Originally Posted by VStrider

implicit paths are those paths which are based on enviroment variables.
eg. if your script points to $HOME, even if you change your home dir it'll still work, cause the variable $HOME now points to the new home path.
but if your script points to lets say /home/myuser1 (explicitly) and you change your home to /home/myuser2 your script will not work cause it'll still point to /home/user1 which doesn't exist.

i suppose system scripts, all use enviroment variables. you only need to check your own scripts.

Edit:
to see this in action, type echo $HOME and you'll see where it points to.
now when you do usermod -d newhome, do the echo $HOME again and voila it points to your new home.

Wow, i've got a lot of scripts that point to explict things...(i'm still a newb) maybe I'll just create a new account and rebuild everything....and do it right this time. I'm learning so much these days it's not even funny :-)

[VStrider]

at least you only need to learn these things once.

windows is not much different in this. you have env vars there too. eg. someone might have C:\Windows\System, while someone else might have D:\Win32\System, but they both have %System% which points to the right dir.