Linux: Create a User and Add a Group
Create an account with a home directory and Bash shell, add it to the existing ops group, then verify its identity. Work through it yourself in the live host terminal below.
Symptom
Create an account with a home directory and Bash shell, add it to the existing ops group, then verify its identity.
Your mission
Inspect, recover, then verify
Format
Linux shell
Investigate before you configure.
Use the CLI evidence to isolate the fault, make the smallest safe correction, then verify the network state changed.
Observe the symptom and link state.
Diagnose by comparing the protocol evidence.
Verify the expected device state and confirm the original symptom is resolved.
Console access: Linux
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Need a hint?
Reveal the root cause when you're ready.
Try the investigation first, then use this as your escape hatch, not a dead end.
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Lab debrief
Turn the session into a repeatable troubleshooting pattern.
Use this reference after your attempt: first explain the symptom, then verify the evidence, then confirm the repair.
The problem
Maya needs a local account and access to the ops group's shared files. The ops group already exists.
What you'll practice
- Check the target group before changing accounts
- Create a home directory with useradd -m
- Set the login shell explicitly
- Append a supplementary group without replacing existing memberships
- Verify identity with id
The topology
One Linux host has an existing ops group and no maya account.
Commands to run yourself
The real diagnostic commands for this lab, copy-paste ready. Run these in the same order to reproduce the investigation on your own session.
getent group opsgetent passwd mayaTopology diagram
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Fact-checked references
The commands and behaviour in this lab were checked against these primary references.
Frequently asked
Why use -m?
It creates the user's home directory instead of relying on distribution defaults.
Does this set a password?
No. Account creation and password setup are separate steps; use passwd through a trusted terminal.
Ready to run this lab yourself?
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