Logging On To System | How to login in linux

 

Logging On To System 

·        Before you can begin to use the system you will need to have a valid username and a password.  Assignment of usernames and initial passwords is typically handled by the System Administrator

·        Your username, also called a userid, should be unique and should not change. Initial passwords can be anything and should be changed after your first login.

 

To login to your account

 

·        Type your username at the login prompt, initial of your first name followed by last name (e.g QUAnswer). LINUX is case sensitive - if your username is QUAnswerdo not type QUAnswer. Press the RETURN or ENTER key after typing your username.

·        When the password prompt appears, type in your password. Your password is never displayed on the screen as a security measure. It also is case sensitive. Press the RETURN or ENTER key after entering your password.

·        What happens after you successfully login depends upon your system, many LINUX systems will display a login banner or "message of the day". Make a habit of reading this since it may contain important information about the system.

·        Other LINUX systems will automatically configure your environment and open one or more windows for you to do work in.

·        You should see a prompt - usually a percent sign (%) or dollar sign ($). This is called the "shell prompt" (the shell is discussed in detail later). It indicates that the system is ready to accept commands from you.

 

If your login attempt was unsuccessful, there are several possible reasons:

 

·        You made a typing error while entering your username or password

·        The CAPS LOCK key is on and everything is being sent to the system in uppercase letters.

·        You have an expired or invalid username or password, or the system security has changed

·        There are system problems 

Example of user login

 

login: QUAnswer

QUAnswer Password:

************************************************************

* Welcome to the Linux Systems Training Class

************************************************************

*

* Hello! (Greetings)

*

* System maintenance is scheduled today from 2:00

* until 4:00 pm EST

*

*                     (Thank you very much)

*

************************************************************

 Your Home Directory

·        Each user has a unique "home" directory. Your home directory is that part of the file system reserved for your files.

·        After login, you are "put" into your home directory automatically. This is where you start your work.

·        You are in control of your home directory and the files which reside there. You are also in control of the file access permissions (discussed later) to the files in your home directory. Generally, you alone should be able to create/delete/modify files in your home directory. Others may have permission to read or execute your files as you determine.

·        In most LINUX systems, you can "move around" or navigate to other parts of the file system outside of your home directory. This depends upon how the file permissions have been set by others and/or the System Administrator.

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