# Greetings fellow nerds!

## MattTheComputerGeek

Greetings fellow nerds! I am new to gentoo lunix and the command line, i have a used server that has 2 scsi drives Drive(0) OS, and Drive(1) is home, dvd drive, flopy drive, zip drive. 

This server was given to me and has been recently updated cleand and is in good condition and boots into the command line but seeing has there are no users i have to login under root with my password the only previous owner set it for me, root is a bad place to be i know and i want to change it so i can log in has a user and also have a secure root password. and as far the previous owner knows the gui is not working

At startup where i would log in its name to the left is ISP,Lmt, victoria bc blah blah blah, i want to change that. it has apachi, imap, pop, crone(what is this), and a bunch of other stuff. i have no clue what els it has because i don't know any commands to bring up what it has, atm i want to use it has a timed back up server and be able to securely ssh to it if i need to and also have it email me important warning messages and errors, Outgoing/income email at the same time is impossible because my isp blocks port 25... why idk ask "EastLink" your self. OH and how do i safely halt the server and power it down. with out using the switch.

It also says the cmos battery is low. can i just take one out of a dead machine i have and use that one or should i got to the store and by one

I'm new to lunix command line stuff so any help will be greatly appreciated, and when responding to this message or other in this thread please assume i am a noob to lunix has i have used ubuntu(gui) but that is it and when i used it i never really installed anything out side of the Package manager and when i did i failed epically bacuse it never worked properly.  I want to know what files/programs are on this server if any, the previous owner wiped out his personal files and what not when i was there but he could have missed something.

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## NeddySeagoon

MattTheComputerGeek,

Welcome to Gentoo.

I'm not sure that your system has Gentoo installed but I will leave your thread here for now.

To make an ordinary user you use the 

```
useradd
```

command

Almost all commands have a -h or --help options which tell you what options they can take. They also have manual pages. so 

```
man useradd
```

will tell you about useradd.

When you add your user, you will need the -m and -s options, to make the users home directory and set the login shell. 

After you have made the normal use, set the users password with the 

```
passwd <username>
```

command. <username> means to put in the name you used for your new user, like 

```
passwd MattTheComputerGeek
```

do not type the <>.

apachi (spelling apache) is a webserver, so you can host yor own websites 

imap is an email access type 

pop is a another email access type

crone (spelling cron) is a way run programs in the background at fixed times.

As the CMOS battery is low, there are several things to do, depending on how you use the machine.

The CMOS battery is only used when the system is powered off, so if the system is running 24/7, it doesn't matter.

You could write the settings down and re-enter them every power on start.

You can fit a new CMOS battery - it should last many years. Its not really worth fitting a battery from an old motherboard as the batteries tend to die with age, not use.

If you want a book for the command line, Linux in a Nutshell is a good palce to start. Its free online or you can buy a paper copy or both.

For powerdown, use the command 

```
shutdown -h now
```

only root can use this command.

Read its man page or help, or both.

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## MattTheComputerGeek

It is running gentoo. I'm sure of it

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## NeddySeagoon

MattTheComputerGeek,

Convince your readers.

While you are at it, convince us all that isn't you

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## MattTheComputerGeek

It is me in that picture, forgot i had an account there.

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## MattTheComputerGeek

It has been a while but i am back, (life got in the way). I had forgot my root password and finaly figured out how to change it.. did that and now that im trying to add a user. When i go "useradd matthew" it adds the user but i dont understand where "-m" and "-s" come in becuase when i include those after "useradd" it gives me a list of "-(LETTERS)" that are used in "useradd" but i dont know when or where to use them. Can you help?

Oh! and for any one who is interested the computer im typing this on is running WindowsME drowngradeable back to Windows98 and it runs great and looks like new considering it is a used "Dell Optiplex GX1" office computer.

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## John R. Graham

Matt,

Actual error messages are important.  Post the exact command you issued and the exact results you got, please.  That'll give us the information we need to help you.    :Smile: 

 *MattTheComputerGeek wrote:*   

> It is running gentoo. I'm sure of it

 So that we are also sure, could you post the output of

```
cat /proc/version
```

please?

- John

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## Ant P.

You would get better answers by at least being aware of this. No slight intended, everyone has to start somewhere.

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## krinn

Won't get answers from me as he is just a troll in my opinion.

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## Ant P.

@krinn:

Probably, but you shouldn't condemn people right off the bat just because they look like a lost cause.

Sometimes these people can be fixed, other times they're impossible and refuse to change. You can't tell the difference unless you at least try.

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## NeddySeagoon

krinn,

Ignorance can be fixed but stupid is forever.

Ignorance combined with a willingness to learn are welcome here.

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## krinn

com'on, i accept that sometimes i could lost my faith, but clues are there...

title of the message, link to the nerd fighters dumb little boys website. usage of "lunix" or "apachi" or "crone" (to my knowledge, ubuntu didn't change names of applications)... 

I do think he knows what he is doing, he is just a wanking young boy that try to loose our time.

I agree i could be wrong, but for him, nah, i will kept my feelings as-is.

I have help some people (well, i have lost many while trying too), and i agree with neddy on ignorance and stupidity, but i don't see any willingness to learn here.

(google translate help here): Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

edit: oh, and if you really think i'm wrong, maybe someone should remove my 2 messages in it as they argue about him, but don't help the subject at first.

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## AllenJB

 *MattTheComputerGeek wrote:*   

> It has been a while but i am back, (life got in the way). I had forgot my root password and finaly figured out how to change it.. did that and now that im trying to add a user. When i go "useradd matthew" it adds the user but i dont understand where "-m" and "-s" come in becuase when i include those after "useradd" it gives me a list of "-(LETTERS)" that are used in "useradd" but i dont know when or where to use them. Can you help?

 

Those are usage instructions (in brief). They'll appear if the program doesn't know what you're trying to do.

There's a nice brief explanation of adding users at the end of the Handbook:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=11

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## i92guboj

Please, be on topic. NeddySeagoon is already watching the topic since he answered here, so let's not make the thread any longer than it deserves.

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## MattTheComputerGeek

Hi, Life got in the way again.

This is what i do to add a new (NON-Root) user to the sytem i type   "useradd matt--creat-home" i realize now that i for got the letter "e" which i fixed but now it tells me "useradd: user matthew exists" now dose this mean it created the account or is it telling me it already exists. 

I do not remebr previously setting up an account but the guy i got it from may have set up one for me when i was there and he was getting it ready for me to take, if he did i do not remeber. if so there may be a password of which i do not know...  and to respond to the above messages im no idiot, i am no "IT" proffesional either but i do work with computers a lot i have several of wich i just put parts in and got working, i just found one in a dumbster of all places and cleaned it up, put in some ram and an old video card in it then installed windows xp and boom it works like new, still has original price tag of "$999.99" it is a "Compag Persario 5000"

MattTheComputerGeek

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## John R. Graham

Already exists.  Also, although some programs are forgiving, options are supposed to come before the positional parameters (like the user name you're trying to create), like so:

```
useradd --create-home matthew
```

You can check the /etc/passwd file to see if any given user was created:

```
grep matthew /etc/passwd
```

If this isn't clear, then just ask.  If it is clear, a friendly acknowledgment would be nice.  Finally, punctuation and capitalization are always appreciated.    :Wink: 

- John

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## MattTheComputerGeek

It say "matthew:x :1001 : 1001 : :/home/matthew:/bin/bash" Which im am assuming means one exists. Now all i need to do is see if there is a password attached before i go and try login in to it. this time im here to stay and if life gets in the way i will let someone know im not dead....

MattTheComputerGeek

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## John R. Graham

Matt,

Correct:  the user exists.  Neddy's very first post above showed you how to set a password.  Take a look at that.

- John

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