Ubuntu 26.04: Add User Accounts

After installing Ubuntu System, there is only a user you configured during installation besides system accounts, and that user is an administrative user. If you'd like to add more common user accounts on the system, configure as follows.

Add a New User

For example, add a user named resolute:

sudo adduser resolute

You will be prompted for:

• Your sudo password
• The new user's password
• Optional user information (Full Name, Room Number, etc.) — press Enter to leave blank

[sudo] password for ubuntu:   # input your password
New password:                  # set user password
Retype new password:           # confirm
passwd: password updated successfully
Changing the user information for resolute
Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default
        Full Name []:          # press Enter to skip
        Room Number []:
        Work Phone []:
        Home Phone []:
        Other []:
Is the information correct? [Y/n] y

Grant Sudo Privileges

To give the new user administrative (sudo) privileges, add them to the sudo group:

sudo usermod -aG sudo resolute

Verify by switching to the new user and running a privileged command:

su - resolute
sudo ls -la /root

If the command succeeds, sudo access is working correctly.

Remove a User Account

To remove a user account while keeping their home directory:

sudo deluser resolute

To remove a user account along with their home directory:

sudo deluser resolute --remove-home

Summary