1/100 - Linux User Setup with Non-Interactive Shell

Task: Create a user named 'ravi' with a non-interactive shell on app Server 1

ssh tony@172.16.238.10
sudo useradd -s /bin/nologin ravi

Breakdown:
useradd <- Command to create a new user
-s /bin/nologin <- assigns a non-interative shell (prevents login)
ravi <- the username we are creating

Optional:
If /sbin/nologin doesn't exist on your system, you can use /usr/sbin/nologin
or /bin/false instead.

Why use /sbin/nologin?
It prevents the user from opening a terminal session or executing shell commands. For example if the user tries to login via SSH or TTY the system will immediately end the session or display a message.

Common Use Cases:
- System users like www-data, nginx, mysql that run background services but shouldn't log in.
- Users that need limited access, for example file upload via ftp but no shell access.