How to set up a new user on your Amazon AWS server
I recently set up a free Amazon AWS server. As I experimented with it, I installed a GUI desktop. Then I encountered some issues that I eventually resolved by creating a new user with its own password and then using that user for the rest of my activities.
For my own reference, and in the hope others will find it useful, here is the procedure I followed:
- Create a new userid, with password
- Add the new user to the *sudoers* file
- Install the AWS server’s public key for the new user
- Log in as the new user
I posted the details in my blog post, below.
Why do we need a password?
The default ubuntu userid does not have a password. The Amazon AWS documentation on managing users recommends creating new users with password disabled. So, why set up a new user with a password?
After installing a GUI desktop, you need to a use a password to authenticate operations performed by GUI software such as Ubuntu Software Center. I did not see any problems caused by configuring a user password. I found it was best to work in a “normal” Linux user account that has a password.