How to change the shell for an already existing user – Unix/Linux

We can change the shell of a user by using the ‘usermod’ command. Some common types of shells are listed below:
> /bin/bash
> /bin/ksh
> /bin/csh
> /bin/sh
> /sbin/nologin
etc…

We can find out the shell details from the ‘passwd’ file under ‘/etc’ location.

Example:
Display shell details of the user ‘me’

[root@localhost ~]# grep -w me /etc/passwd
me:x:502:502::/home/me:/bin/bash

Shell is : /bin/bash

How to change the shell via command line?
The usermod command with switch ‘s’ is used to change the current shell of a user. Other useful usermod switches.

Example:

[root@localhost ~]# usermod -s /sbin/nologin me
[root@localhost ~]# grep -w me /etc/passwd
me:x:502:502::/home/me:/sbin/nologin

The shell changed to “/sbin/nologin

That’s it!! 🙂

Related Links:
groupdel, groupmems, groupmod, useradd , usermod

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Arunlal A

Senior System Developer at Zeta. Linux lover. Traveller. Let's connect! Whether you're a seasoned DevOps pro or just starting your journey, I'm always eager to engage with like-minded individuals. Follow my blog for regular updates, connect on social media, and let's embark on this DevOps adventure together! Happy coding and deploying!

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