Managing users on a Debian server is essential for controlling access and permissions. This guide explains how to add and delete users in Debian 12.

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Step 1: Create an Instance

Before proceeding, ensure you have a Debian 12 instance.

Access the Dashboard: Log in to your Shape.Host account and navigate to the Dashboard.
Click Create: Click the “Create” button at the top-right corner.
Select Instances: Choose “Instances” to start creating a new server.

Select Location: Choose a data center location closest to your target audience.

Choose a Plan: Select a plan that suits your project, such as Standard, CPU-Optimized, or Memory-Optimized.

Choose an Image: Select Debian 12 as the operating system.

Authentication and Finalize: Choose your preferred authentication method, either SSH keys or password, then click Create Instance.

• Obtain IP Address

• Once your instance is created, return to the dashboard.
• Find your instance’s IP address under the Resources section and use it to access your server.

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Step 2: Connect to Your Instance

To connect to your Debian server:

• Linux/macOS: Open a terminal and type: ssh root@<your_server_ip>
• Windows: Use PuTTY. Enter the server’s IP, select SSH, and log in as root using your credentials.

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Step 3: Add a New User

Create a new user named user-1:

adduser user-1  

You will be prompted to set a password and provide optional user information.

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Step 4: Grant Sudo Privileges

Add the new user to the sudo group to grant administrative privileges:

usermod -aG sudo user-1  

Verify the user in the system:

cat /etc/passwd  

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Step 5: Delete a User

To delete the user user-1 and remove their home directory:

deluser user-1 --remove-home  

Confirm the deletion by checking the system’s user list:

cat /etc/passwd | grep "user-1"  

If no output appears, the user has been successfully deleted.

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Adding and deleting users in Debian 12 is straightforward and allows you to maintain proper access controls on your server.

For a reliable hosting environment, consider using Shape.Host’s Cloud VPS services, offering high performance and flexibility for your Debian-based projects.