USERDEL(8)              OpenBSD System Manager's Manual             USERDEL(8)

NAME
     userdel - remove a user from the system

SYNOPSIS
     userdel [-D] [-p preserve-value]
     userdel [-p] [-r] [-v] user

DESCRIPTION
     The userdel utility removes a user from the system, optionally removing
     that user's home diretory and any subdirectories.

     The first format of the command shown above (utilising the -D option)
     sets and displays the defaults for the userdel utility.

     -D      without any further options, -D will show the current defaults
             which will be used by the userdel utility. Together with one of
             the options shown for the first version of the command, -D will
             set the default to be the new value.

     -p preserve-value
             sets the preservation value. If this value is one of "true",
             "false", or a non-zero number, then the user login information
             will be preserved.

     The following command line options are recognised:

     -p      preserve the user information in the password file, but do not
             allow the user to login, by switching the password to an "impos-
             sible" one, and by setting the user's shell to the false(1) pro-
             gram.  This option can be helpful in preserving a user's files
             for later use by members of that person's group after the user
             has moved on.  This value can also be set in the
             /etc/usermgmt.conf file, using the "preserve" field. If the field
             has any of the values "true", "yes", or a non-zero number, then
             user information preservation will take place.

     -r      remove the user's home directory, any subdirectories, and any
             files and other entries in them.

     -v      perform any actions in a verbose manner.

     The userdel utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

FILES
     /etc/usermgmt.conf

SEE ALSO
     false(1), passwd(5)

HISTORY
     The userdel utility first appeared in OpenBSD 2.7.

AUTHOR
     The userdel utility was written by Alistair G. Crooks (agc@netbsd.org).

OpenBSD 2.7                    November 30, 1999                             1
