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On Ubuntu 24.04, create a local account with sudo adduser username. Give it administrator privileges only when necessary with sudo adduser username sudo. Remove an account with sudo deluser username; that command normally leaves the user’s home directory intact. Delete or archive the home directory separately, and only after confirming that its files are backed up and no longer needed.
Choose the right method first
Ubuntu 24.04 offers two ways to manage ordinary local accounts:
| Method | Where it works | Strengths | Important limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
Terminal with adduser and deluser |
Ubuntu Server and Ubuntu Desktop | Repeatable, scriptable, explicit control over groups and file retention | Requires an administrator shell and careful command entry |
| Settings application | Ubuntu Desktop | Discoverable interface with a clear choice to keep or delete the home folder | Not available on a headless server; less convenient for repeated administration |
The commands in this guide manage local users stored by Ubuntu’s standard account system. They do not by themselves remove an identity from an external directory service, cloud identity provider, or an application’s own user database.
Before you change any account
Use an existing administrator account
Account creation and deletion require root privileges. Sign in with an account that already has administrator rights and prefix the commands with sudo. Do not remove your only account that can run sudo until another administrator has been tested.
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Decide what should happen to the files
Deleting an account and deleting its files are separate operations. Before removing anyone, decide whether the home directory should be:
- Kept in place for later review.
- Moved to an archive location or backed up.
- Permanently removed after the backup has been verified.
Ubuntu’s desktop documentation warns that files deleted through the account-removal dialog cannot be recovered. Treat permanent removal as irreversible rather than as a routine cleanup step.
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Check for active use
For a person’s account, ask the user to sign out. For a service or automation account, first investigate running processes, scheduled jobs, SSH keys, application configuration, and files owned by that account. Removing the login can break software that still expects the account to exist.
Add a user from the terminal
Run the standard Ubuntu command
Replace alice with the login name you want to create:
sudo adduser aliceadduser is Ubuntu’s friendlier Debian policy layer over lower-level tools such as useradd. It normally selects a policy-compliant numeric UID and GID, creates a same-name primary group, creates /home/alice, and copies the initial files from /etc/skel. The command prompts for a password and optional descriptive fields such as the user’s full name, room number, work phone, home phone, and other comment information. Press Enter at a comment prompt if you do not need to supply it.
The command asks you to confirm the information before it completes. A successful run creates a login that can start a session but does not automatically grant administrator privileges.
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Confirm the new identity
Use the standard inspection commands to verify the account and its groups:
id alice
groups aliceThe output should show the account’s numeric UID, its primary group, and any supplementary groups. You can also check that the home directory exists:
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ls -ld /home/aliceIf the user should sign in graphically, the account is now available to the desktop login manager. On a server, the user can authenticate through the services that are configured to accept local accounts, such as SSH.
Give a user administrator access
Add the account to Ubuntu’s sudo group
Grant administrator privileges only when the person or service genuinely needs them:
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sudo adduser alice sudoUbuntu documents membership in the sudo group as the normal way to allow administrator commands. The account still has to authenticate when prompted by sudo, subject to the system’s policy.
Make the group change take effect
Supplementary groups are assigned when a login session starts. Have Alice sign out of every desktop, SSH, or terminal session and sign in again. A shell that was already open before the change may continue to use the old group list.
After the new session starts, verify membership:
id alice
groups aliceTo test the privilege without making a system change, Alice can run:
sudo -vThat command validates the user’s ability to authenticate to sudo. Avoid testing with a destructive command.
Remove administrator access without deleting the account
If the user no longer needs elevated rights, remove the supplementary-group membership while keeping the login and its files:
sudo deluser alice sudoThe user must again start a new login session before the reduced group list is reflected in running programs. This changes administrator access; it does not disable the account or remove its home directory.
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Delete a user but keep the home directory
Use deluser without a removal option
After confirming that the account is not still being used, run:
sudo deluser aliceOn Ubuntu, this removes the account record but does not remove the corresponding home folder by default. The directory, such as /home/alice, remains on disk with files still carrying the former numeric UID and GID as their ownership.
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Inspect the directory and decide whether it should remain on the machine, be archived, or be moved:
sudo ls -la /home/alice
sudo du -sh /home/aliceRetaining a directory is useful when you need records, configuration, or a later transfer to another account. It also creates a security decision: files are not automatically reassigned to a different person.
Numeric ownership matters because Linux records the UID and GID, not just the former name. If a future account is assigned the same UID or GID, it could appear to own those retained files. Ubuntu’s user-management guidance recommends changing ownership or relocating the directory when appropriate. Do not solve this by blindly running a recursive ownership change; first determine which files should belong to which replacement account.
Archive the directory without destroying it
A cautious pattern is to remove the login and move the home directory to a protected archive location:
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sudo mkdir -p /home/archived_users
sudo mv /home/alice /home/archived_users/aliceChoose an archive location with suitable permissions and backups. Moving the directory prevents a newly created /home/alice from being confused with the retained data, while preserving the files for later review. If the directory contains sensitive material, restrict access to the administrators who need it.
Delete a user and remove the home directory
Verify the decision before using a removal option
Permanent deletion is appropriate only when retention, legal, operational, and backup requirements have been satisfied. Confirm that:
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- You have a verified backup or an explicit decision that no backup is required.
- No running process, scheduled task, or application still needs the account or its files.
- You are deleting the intended login, not a similarly named service account.
- Another administrator can recover the system if the account was used by automation.
Check the installed command’s documentation
The Noble (Ubuntu 24.04) package provides a home-removal option for deluser, but options can vary with the installed package. Read the local manual before using it:
man deluserWhen the manual confirms the option, the direct command is:
sudo deluser --remove-home aliceThis removes the account and requests removal of its home directory. Check the command’s output for warnings, and independently verify that any required backup is readable. Do not assume that removing the account alone has deleted files, and do not assume that a deletion can be undone.
Use a two-stage workflow when you are uncertain
If you might need the data later, use the safer sequence instead:
sudo deluser alice
sudo mv /home/alice /home/archived_users/aliceYou can review the archive, copy selected files to a new owner, and destroy it later under a separate change decision. This adds an explicit checkpoint between disabling the login and destroying its data.
Delete an account in Ubuntu Desktop
Open the user-management panel
- Open Activities and launch Settings.
- Open System, then select Users.
- Select Unlock and authenticate when prompted.
- Select the account under Other Users.
- Choose Remove User….
Choose what happens to the home folder
The removal dialog lets you keep the home folder or choose Delete Files. Select the keep option when you need to preserve records or plan an archive. Choose Delete Files only after checking backups and confirming that permanent loss is acceptable. Ubuntu states that files deleted this way cannot be recovered.
The graphical method performs the same fundamental separation as the terminal method: removing the account is distinct from deciding whether its home data remains. The dialog is convenient for a one-off desktop change, while the terminal is preferable for servers, repeatable procedures, and explicit archiving.
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“Permission denied” or an authentication failure
Run the command from an account that is already allowed to use sudo, and enter that account’s password when prompted. A normal user cannot create or delete another local account without administrative authorization.
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The user cannot use sudo immediately
Check the group list with id alice. If sudo is present but the user’s existing terminal still behaves as before, have the user sign out and back in. Group membership is applied to new sessions, not retroactively to every process already running.
The home directory remains after deletion
This is expected after sudo deluser alice. The default command removes the account record, not the home folder. Inspect the directory, archive it, reassign selected files where appropriate, or use the locally documented --remove-home option only after verifying the backup and the retention decision.
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That usually means the files are still owned by the former numeric UID after the account was removed. Do not create a replacement account merely to make the name reappear. First identify the intended owner, then use a deliberate ownership change or move the files into an archive with controlled permissions.
The account appears busy
Sign out interactive sessions and stop services that run as the account before deletion. If the identity is used by a daemon, inspect its service unit, environment files, scheduled jobs, SSH keys, and application configuration. Removing the login does not automatically update those dependencies.
You are trying to remove root
Do not do this. Ubuntu’s adduser/deluser tooling refuses to delete the root account because it is fundamental to system recovery and administration.
You removed the only administrator
Do not intentionally reach this state. Before deleting any administrator, create or verify another administrator, test its sudo access in a fresh session, and keep an approved recovery path. If the mistake has already happened, use an authorized console or Ubuntu recovery procedure rather than repeatedly attempting ordinary account commands.
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- Creating a normal login: run
sudo adduser username, supply the requested password and fields, then verify withid username. - Adding administration: run
sudo adduser username sudo, then require a new login session and verify group membership. - Removing only the login: stop active use and run
sudo deluser username; inspect the retained home directory. - Keeping data safely: move the former home directory to an archive location and review numeric ownership before reuse.
- Destroying data: verify backups, read
man deluser, and use the installed package’s documented--remove-homeoption only when deletion is intentional. - Using the desktop: follow Settings > System > Users > Unlock > Other Users > Remove User…, then choose whether to keep or delete the home folder.
What the commands change
| Action | Account record | Home directory | Administrator access |
|---|---|---|---|
sudo adduser alice |
Creates a local user, UID, primary group, and login credentials | Creates /home/alice from /etc/skel |
Not granted automatically |
sudo adduser alice sudo |
Keeps the account | Unchanged | Adds membership in Ubuntu’s administrator group |
sudo deluser alice |
Removes the account | Normally retained | Login-based access ends with account removal |
sudo deluser --remove-home alice, when confirmed by the local manual |
Removes the account | Requests permanent removal of the home directory | Login-based access ends with account removal |
Frequently asked questions
Can I create a user without giving them administrator rights?
Yes. sudo adduser username creates the account without adding it to the sudo group. Grant elevated access separately only if the role requires it.
Can I delete an Ubuntu user without deleting their files?
Yes. Run sudo deluser username without a home-removal option. The home directory remains, so review its numeric ownership and protect or archive the data.
Why should a user sign out after being added to sudo?
Existing processes keep the group list they received at login. A new session loads the updated supplementary groups.
Is the graphical method available on Ubuntu Server?
No. The Settings route requires Ubuntu Desktop. On a server, use the terminal commands through a local console or an authorized remote session.
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