deluser is a command line tool in Linux that can be used to delete a user account and its related files and directories. It is typically used by system administrators to remove user accounts that are no longer needed.
If you encounter the below error while running the command deluser:
deluser: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install adduser |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install adduser |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install adduser |
| Raspbian | apt-get install adduser |
deluser Command Examples
1. Remove a user:
# deluser username
2. Remove a user and their home directory:
# deluser --remove-home username
3. Remove a user and their home, but backup their files into a `.tar.gz` file in the specified directory:
# deluser --backup-to path/to/backup_directory --remove-home username
4. Remove a user, and all files owned by them:
# deluser --remove-all-files username
5. To delete a user account and its related files and directories:
# deluser --backup --remove-all-files username
6. To delete a user account and its related files and directories and also delete the user’s mail spool:
# deluser --backup --remove-all-files --remove-mail-spool username
Please note that deluser is a command that is used to delete a user account from the system, it’s important to be careful when using this command as it can cause data loss if used improperly. It’s always a good idea to backup the data before removing a user account.