How to Create User with UID and GID in Ubuntu? [3 Scenarios]

Md. Ashakul Islam Sowad
Written by Md. Ashakul Islam Sowad
Mrinmoy Roy
Reviewed by Mrinmoy Roy
Last updated: Nov 15, 2023

Linux-based systems are multiuser systems which means multiple users can operate on the same system. These users are identified by their unique UIDs(user identifiers), In Linux-based systems users are also assigned to a group with a specific GID(group identifier) when they are created. In this article, I’ll depict the approaches to create a user with UID and GID in Ubuntu.

Table of Contents Expand

What is UID in Ubuntu?

UID is the abbreviation for user identifier in Linux-based systems. UID depicts a unique number per user. It is primarily used to specify a user within the Linux system and which elements the user can work with. As with the user’s list, UIDs are also stored in the /etc/passwd file. In Ubuntu, like most other Linux distributions for new users, UID starts from 1000.

What is GID in Ubuntu?

GID is the abbreviation for group identifiers in Linux-based systems. GID depicts a unique number for a group of users who share some common entities. A user can belong to multiple groups so it can have multiple GIDs. As with the user’s list & UIDs, GIDs are also stored in the /etc/passwd file. In Ubuntu, like most other Linux distributions for new groups, GID starts from 1000.

1. Create a User With a Specific UID in Ubuntu

In the following example, I will create a new user named “rick” with a specific UID 2013. I have illustrated the full process in the following 2 steps:

Step 01: Create a New User With a Specific UID in Ubuntu

You can create a new user with your desired UID from the terminal using the useradd command. However, You have to be a root user to execute the useradd command. Check the steps below to do that:

  1. Open the Ubuntu Terminal by pressing CTRL+ALT+T.
  2. Type the following command in the Ubuntu terminal: 
    sudo useradd -u 2013 rick
    EXPLANATION
    • sudo: Grants administrative privileges.
    • useradd: Adds a new user
    • -u 2013: Sets the UID to 2013.
    • rick: Creates a new user named rick.
    In the following image, you can see that I have created a new user named “rick”.Creating user with specific UID using the useradd command in Ubuntu.
  3. Now, set a password to login into the newly created user “rick” by typing the following command: 
    sudo passwd rick

    Here the passwd command sets/changes the password.

    After running the above command, you’ll be able to set a password for the newly created user like the following image. Moreover, now you can now log into the new user “rick” whenever you want.Setting password for the new user.

Step 02: Confirm Whether the User Contains the Specific UID

You can check whether the new user “rick” contains the assigned UID:2013 by typing the following command:

id rick

Here the id command sets/changes the password.

In the following image, you can see that the new user “rick” has been assigned with the desired UID 2013.Checking the UID and GID of the newly created user in Ubuntu.

Note: By default, a newly created user contains the GID same as the UID if not specified.

2. Create a User With a Specific GID in Ubuntu

In the following example, I will create a new user named “morty” with a specific GID 2023. I have illustrated the full process in the following 4 steps:

Step 01: Create a Group with a Specific GID in Ubuntu

You can create a new group with your desired GID from the terminal using the groupadd command. However, You have to be a root user to execute the groupadd command. Here, I have created a group named “mortygroup” with GID 2023. To do so run the below command:

sudo groupadd -g 2023 mortygroup
EXPLANATION
  • groupadd: Adds a new user
  • -g 2013: Sets the GID to 2023.
  • mortygroup: Creates a new group named mortygroup.

In the following image, you can see that I have created a new group named “mortygroup”.Creating a new group with specific GID using the groupadd command in Ubuntu.

Step 02: Confirm Whether the Group Contains the Specific GID

You can check whether the new group “mortygroup” contains the assigned GID:2023 by typing the following command:

getent group | grep mortygroup
EXPLANATION
  • getent: Looks into the administrative database that is given as its argument.
  • Pipe (|): Redirects the standard output.
  • grep: Looks for a specific pattern given to it as an argument.
Checking the GID of the newly created group.In the above image, you can see that the new group “mortygroup” has been assigned with the desired GID 2023.

Step 03: Create a New User With a Specific GID in Ubuntu

Now, create a new user with your desired GID from the terminal using the useradd command with the -g option followed by the desired GID. However, You have to be a root user to execute the useradd command. Go through the steps below:

  1. Open the Ubuntu Terminal.
  2. Type the following command in the Ubuntu terminal: 
    sudo useradd -g 2023 morty

    In the following image, you can see that I have created a new user named “morty”.Creating the new user with the desired GID.

  3. Now, Set a password for the user by typing the following command: 
    sudo passwd morty

    After running the above command, you’ll be able to set a password for the newly created user like the following image. Moreover, now you can log into the new user “morty” whenever you want.Setting password for the newly created user.

Step 04: Confirm Whether the User Contains the Desired GID

You can check whether the new user “morty” contains the assigned GID:2023 by typing the following command:

id -g morty

In the following image, you can see that I have created the new user “morty” with our desired GID 2023.Checking the GID of the newly created user using the id command.

3. Create a User With Both Specific UID & GID in Ubuntu

In the following example, I will create a new user named “rickmorty” with a specific UID(2050) & GID(2060). I have illustrated the full process in the following 4 steps:

Step 01: Create a Group with a Specific GID

You can create a new group with your desired GID from the terminal using the groupadd command. However, You have to be a root user to execute the groupadd command. Here, I have created a group named “rmgroup” with GID 2060. To do so type the following command in the Ubuntu terminal:

sudo groupadd -g 2060 rmgroup
EXPLANATION
  • -g 2060: Sets the GID to 2060.
  • rmgroup: Creates a new group named rmgroup.

In the following image, you can see that I have created a new group named “rmgroup”.Creating a group with a specific GID 2060 using the groupadd command in Ubuntu.

Step 02: Confirm Whether the Group Contains the Specific GID

You can check whether the new group “rmgroup” contains the assigned GID:2060 by typing the following command:

getent group | grep rmgroup

In the following image, you can see that I have created the new group “rmgroup” with the desired GID 2060.Checking the GID of the newly created group.

Step 03: Create a New User With the Specific UID & GID in Ubuntu

To make a user with a specific UID and GID in the terminal, use the useradd command. Add the -u option for the UID and -g for the GID, followed by the desired numbers. However, You have to be a root user to execute the useradd command. Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Open the Ubuntu Terminal.
  2. Type the following command in the Ubuntu terminal: 
    sudo useradd -u 2050 -g 2060 rickmorty

    In the following image, you can see that I have created a new user named “rickmorty”.Creating user with UID and GID in Ubuntu.

  3. Now, set a password for the user by typing the following command: 
    sudo passwd rickmorty

    After running the above command, you’ll be able to set a password for the newly created user like the following image. Moreover, now you can now log into the new user “rickmorty” whenever you want.Setting password for the newly created user.

Step 04: Confirm Whether the User Contains the Desired GID

You can check whether the new user “rickmorty” contains the assigned UID:2050 & GID:2060 by typing the following command:

id rickmorty

In the following image, you can see that I have created a new user “rickmorty” with our desired UID:2050 & GID:2060.Checking the UID and GID of the newly created user using the id command in ubuntu.

Conclusion

In Linux-based multiuser systems UIDs and GIDs play an important role in maintaining the harmony of the system resource distributions among multiple users and groups. Hope this article will help you to play with the approaches to create a user with custom UID and GID in Ubuntu.

People Also Ask

Can GID and UID be the same?

Yes, in Unix-like operating systems, GID and UID can be the same. They’re both numerical identifiers that are given to users and groups. It’s pretty common for them to be the same, but there’s no rule that they should be different. Some administrators might want to make sure that a user’s GID matches their UID for convenience or other reasons.

What does UID 1000 mean?

UID 1000 usually stands for user identifier 1000. In Unix-based systems, every user is given a unique identifier for identification. Usually, UID 1000 is the default number assigned to the initial user created on a system. This number is important for managing the system and setting the file permissions.

What does GID 1000 mean?

GID 1000 is usually the group identifier that’s assigned to the user group on a Unix-like system. It’s usually used to tell regular user accounts apart from system users and other groups. On Unix-like systems, like Linux, each person has their own unique user ID and they belong to one of the groups identified by GID. GID 1000 usually represents the main group of regular non-administrators.

How do I find my user UID in Ubuntu?

You can simply run the command id -u User_Name to get your user’s UID. UIDs are stored in the same /etc/passwd file as the user’s list in Linux.

How do I find my user GID in Ubuntu?

To find the user’s GID you can simply run the command id -g -n User_Name. GIDs are stored in the same /etc/passwd file as the user’s list in Linux.

How to set UID in Linux?

In Linux, You can set a new UID of a user by using the usermod command. To change your user’s UID to XXXX you can run the following command usermod -u XXXX User_Name

How to set GID in Linux?

In Linux, You can set a new UID of a user by using the groupmod command. To change the GID of a group of your user to XXXX you can run the following command groupmod -g XXXX Group_Name.

What are the UID and GID of the root?

In Linux, the root user is assigned to UID 0 and GID 0. The root user is the supreme one among all users in the Linux system. Moreover, the root user can exercise all kinds of special powers in a Linux-based system. To conclude, It is not the naming that makes it supreme but this special UID and GID.

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Md. Ashakul Islam Sowad

Hi, I am Md. Ashakul Islam Sowad from Dhaka, Bangladesh. I have completed my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). I love to watch football and play video games in my free time. Here, I am working as a Linux Content Developer Executive. Furthermore, as a Linux enthusiast, I am always learning new things about Linux-based systems and I’ll be sharing them here. Read Full Bio

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