topic Re: Unwanted users in Redhat LINUX in Operating System - Linux

Unwanted users in Redhat LINUX

Sajeesh O.K — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 20:54:11 GMT

Hi All

After the installation of Redhat LINUX 4.0, many users exist by default in /etc/passwd.

Anybody can tell the users that can remove safely.

Thanks
Sajeesh

Re: Unwanted users in Redhat LINUX

Stuart Browne — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 21:02:54 GMT

The users that are added by default to a RH Linux system are the users needed for the various subsystems that installed them.

'gopher' and 'games' are about the only disposable uid's I can think of.

Re: Unwanted users in Redhat LINUX

Sajeesh O.K — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:11:10 GMT

Stuart

Thanks. Any best practices?

Sajeesh

Re: Unwanted users in Redhat LINUX

Stuart Browne — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:32:31 GMT

Leave 'em.

Ininstall packages you aren't using which created extraneous users.

Leave all the 'default' (core) users intact, as if you install a package down the track that might rely upon it, it could do bad things.

There's only 30 or so, so in the general scheme of things, it's not that great.

I run a mail system with some 60,000 active users (and about 340,000 inactive users). Having 30 'extras' is nothing.

(Oh, and for the nay-sayers, no I don't use passwd files for them. My passwd files have 45-50 lines in them).

Re: Unwanted users in Redhat LINUX

Alexander Chuzhoy — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 03:32:59 GMT

Hi Sajeesh,
The best advice here is:
simply don't remove users with UID below 100.