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Linux: adding multiple users in batch
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:Title:        Linux: adding multiple users in batch
:Author:       Douglas O'Leary <dkoleary@olearycomputers.com>
:Description:  Linux: adding multiple users in batch
:Date created: 08/2000
:Date updated: 09/2009
:Disclaimer:   Standard: Use the information that follows at your own risk.  If you screw up a system, don't blame it on me...

This ought to make peoples lives a whole lot easier. This little tip was 
posted in the comp.os.linux.misc newsgroup on/about 17 Aug 2000 by Peter 
Herttrich of Denmark.

Standard problem: How to add hundreds of users with passwords without having 
to issue password for every single user. The standard answer for the major 
OSs is to use an expect script or write something in perl. Bit of a pain. 
Along comes Linux with the /usr/sbin/newusers program.

The command takes a file that contains passwd file formatted entries for 
each user. The man page is a little vague on the format for the file. So, an 
example of the users file is included::

   test1:3biteme:600:100:testing:/home/test1:/bin/bash
   test2:3biteme:601:100:testing:/home/test2:/bin/bash
   test3:3biteme:602:100:testing:/home/test3:/bin/bash
   test4:3biteme:603:100:testing:/home/test4:/bin/bash
   test5:3biteme:604:100:testing:/home/test5:/bin/bash
   test6:3biteme:605:100:testing:/home/test6:/bin/bash
   test7:3biteme:606:100:testing:/home/test7:/bin/bash
   test8:3biteme:607:100:testing:/home/test8:/bin/bash
   test9:3biteme:608:100:testing:/home/test9:/bin/bash
   test10:3biteme:609:100:testing:/home/test10:/bin/bash
   test11:3biteme:610:100:testing:/home/test11:/bin/bash
   test12:3biteme:611:100:testing:/home/test12:/bin/bash
   test13:3biteme:612:100:testing:/home/test13:/bin/bash
   test14:3biteme:613:100:testing:/home/test14:/bin/bash
   test15:3biteme:614:100:testing:/home/test15:/bin/bash

Remember to keep the passwords in the clear and the user file @ 600 
permissions.

The program's damned fast too; I added 50 test users on a Pentium 200 in 
under 1 second. The only issue is that it doesn't automatically copy the 
/etc/skel/* files into the new users' home directories. Oh, well; can't 
have everything...