Linux Add user problem

[bepejet]

I have delete an account on the linux. But I cannot add a user with the same user name which is the same as the one I deleted. I know the old one has been marked somewhere in linux file. But I don't know how to get it, and make it work.
Any one has any advise? Thanks

 

[jyrixx]

just add a user with a different name.
it doesnt answer your question, but it's a way around it.

 

[Damaged]

How did you delete the user? userdel usually does it. If you just blew away their home directory then the user still has an entry in /etc/passwd. I would try userdel <username> if that doesn't work then see if you can delete the entry from the /etc/passwd file.

 

[bepejet]

I just use userdel.. it delete the user. but I can not add another user with same name. There should be a way to do it. I want to learn it. Please anymore suggestions?

 

[Cyph3r]

Do a &quot;grep <username> *&quot; in the /etc directory and see where else it might be. When you find it, delete it and you should be able to re-add the new account. Regards

 

[BOFH]

also is the home directory of the user still in /home? if so stomp it

 

[Damaged]

<< Do a &quot;grep <username> *&quot; in the /etc directory and see where else it might be >>


Err...grep the username from the /etc directory? I'm not quite sure what you're after there but I don't see what that would accomplish. If you want to grep for something then grep <username> /etc/passwd, but not in the entire directory.

To remove the ex-users former /home directory it should be as simple as rm -rf /home/<username>.

Now, for GOD's be very careful, VERYcareful whenever issuing a rm -rf because it will wipe everything, recursive, without asking.

I'll never forget the day I witnessed a dumbass issue rm -rf /. I tried to stop it but the fsking command had already wiped the kill command, so there wasn't much I could do at that point.

 

[bepejet]

I did grep <username>.. the computer just keep run without answering.
Well, certainly I did remove the user director under /home.
But still I can't add it back again.
I think there is a file that contains the ids that have been generated everytime I add a user or delete a user.
I think the user would be delete from the systme login, but not for the file. It's one of those prevent reuse of deleted names. But I don't need this feature at home. And I want to figure out away of adding the name that I delete.
Help?

 

[Damaged]

Of course it's going to sit there if you just do grep <username> it's waiting for you to tell it where (e.g. what file to grep from).

Did you grep <username> /etc/passwd?

 

[bepejet]

I found out now. Thanks alot guys.
Thanks the grep funtion.