This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by M. Oly Mahmud
Managing users is a basic task in DevOps. Not everyone needs permanent access. Sometimes, a developer or tester only needs access for a short time. In those cases, we can create temporary users. These users expire on a set date and remove the need for manual cleanup.
Why Temporary Users?
- Security: old accounts close on time
- Automation: no need to delete users later
- Compliance: helps in audits
- Clean system: fewer unused accounts
Step 1: Create a User with Expiry
We use useradd with the -e option.
sudo useradd -e 2026-01-28 mila
-
-esets the expiry date -
milais the username
Step 2: Set a Password
We must add a password so the user can log in.
sudo passwd mila
It will ask us to type the password twice.
Step 3: Verify Expiry
We check the user details with:
sudo chage -l mila
Output will show:
Account expires : Jan 28, 2026
Quick One-Liner (Optional)
We can also do this in one command:
sudo useradd -e 2026-01-28 mila && echo "mila:DevOps@123" | sudo chpasswd
This creates the user, sets expiry, and adds a password in one go.
Conclusion
We learned how to create a temporary Linux user that expires automatically. This keeps our system secure and tidy with less manual work.
Key Takeaways:
-
useradd -e→ set expiry date -
passwdorchpasswd→ add a password -
chage -l→ check expiry date
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by M. Oly Mahmud