nixCraft

I am not able to create user in RHEl 5. I have deleted the user ram using the command userdel -d ram.
It had deleted the directory of ram as well. But today when I tried to create the user ram again, it gives me a message user ram already exists.

I have checked cat /etc/passwd | grep ram
and cat /etc/shadow | grep ram.

I didn't get any entery of ram in these two files.

Please let me know the steps so that I will be able to create the user ram again.

May be you should have used userdel -r option while deleting user a/c. Check the /home directory. if a directory with the name of /home/ram still exists there then you will have to delete that also.


any way -- let me know if you find a better solution.

also you may use the find command to find any files specifically owned by that user and you could simply change permissions on them or delete them also [ In a test environment, though ]. Add me to your buddy list if you wish to ! I am Emuel Mannadu , RHEL admin currently at hyderabad.

There is no any -d option for userdel. Try userdel -r username. -r option removes the user from system with home directory.

the option -d does not exist in userdel u should have used

userdel -r ram

now try creating the user using hacking way that is opening all the files and adding entries to the file

the file u need to edit

#/etc/passwd
#/etc/shadow
#/etc/group
#/etc/gshadow

and also create users home directory

/home/ram

and the mailbox also

#touch /var/spool/mail/ram