<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<refentry id='userdel.8'>
  <!-- $Id$ -->
  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>userdel</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
    <refmiscinfo class="sectdesc">System Management Commands</refmiscinfo>
  </refmeta>
  <refnamediv id='name'>
    <refname>userdel</refname>
    <refpurpose>delete a user account and related files</refpurpose>
  </refnamediv>
  <refsynopsisdiv id='synopsis'>
    <cmdsynopsis>
      <command>userdel</command>
      <arg choice='opt'>options</arg>
      <arg choice='plain'>
	<replaceable>LOGIN</replaceable>
      </arg>
    </cmdsynopsis>
  </refsynopsisdiv>

  <refsect1 id='description'>
    <title>DESCRIPTION</title>
    <para>
      The <command>userdel</command> command modifies the system account
      files, deleting all entries that refer to the user name <emphasis
      remap='I'>LOGIN</emphasis>. The named user must exist.
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='options'>
    <title>OPTIONS</title>
    <para>
      The options which apply to the <command>userdel</command> command are:
    </para>
    <variablelist remap='IP'>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-f</option>, <option>--force</option>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    This option forces the removal of the user account, even if the
	    user is still
	    logged in. It also forces <command>userdel</command> to remove
	    the user's home directory and mail spool, even if another
	    user uses the same home directory or if the mail spool is not
	    owned by the specified user.  If
	    <emphasis>USERGROUPS_ENAB</emphasis> is defined to <emphasis
	    remap='I'>yes</emphasis> in <filename>/etc/login.defs</filename>
	    and if a group exists with the same name as the deleted user,
	    then this group will be removed, even if it is still the primary
	    group of another user.
	  </para>
	  <para>
	    <emphasis>Note:</emphasis> This option is dangerous and may leave
	    your system in an inconsistent state.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term><option>-h</option>, <option>--help</option></term>
          <listitem>
    	    <para>Display help message and exit.</para>
    	  </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-r</option>, <option>--remove</option>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    Files in the user's home directory will be removed along with
	    the home directory itself and the user's mail spool. Files
	    located in other file systems will have to be searched for and
	    deleted manually.
	  </para>
	  <para>
	    The mail spool is defined by the <emphasis>MAIL_DIR</emphasis>
	    variable in the <filename>login.defs</filename> file.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='files'>
    <title>FILES</title>
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><filename>/etc/group</filename></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Group account information.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><filename>/etc/login.defs</filename></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Shadow password suite configuration.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><filename>/etc/passwd</filename></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>User account information.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><filename>/etc/shadow</filename></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Secure user account information.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='exit_values'>
    <title>EXIT VALUES</title>
    <para>
      The <command>userdel</command> command exits with the following values:
      <variablelist>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>0</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>success</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>1</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>can't update password file</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>2</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>invalid command syntax</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>6</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>specified user doesn't exist</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>8</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>user currently logged in</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>10</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>can't update group file</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>12</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>can't remove home directory</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
      </variablelist>
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='caveats'>
    <title>CAVEATS</title>
    <para>
      <command>userdel</command> will not allow you to remove an account if
      the user is currently logged in. You must kill any running processes
      which belong to an account that you are deleting.
    </para>
    <para>You may not remove any NIS attributes on a NIS client. This must
      be performed on the NIS server.
    </para>
    <para>If <emphasis>USERGROUPS_ENAB</emphasis> is defined to <emphasis
      remap='I'>yes</emphasis> in <filename>/etc/login.defs</filename>,
      <command>userdel</command> will delete the group with the same name
      as the user. To avoid inconsistencies in the passwd and group
      databases, <command>userdel</command> will check that this group is
      not used as a primary group for another user, and will just warn
      without deleting the user otherwise. The <option>-f</option> option
      can force the deletion of this group.
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='see_also'>
    <title>SEE ALSO</title>
    <para><citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>chfn</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>chsh</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>passwd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>login.defs</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>gpasswd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>groupadd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>groupdel</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>groupmod</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>useradd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>usermod</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
</refentry>
