Command to change the default home directory of a user [closed] Command to change the default home directory of a user [closed] unix unix

Command to change the default home directory of a user [closed]


Ibrahim's comment on the other answer is the correct way to alter an existing user's home directory.

Change the user's home directory:

usermod -d /newhome/username username

usermod is the command to edit an existing user.
-d (abbreviation for --home) will change the user's home directory.

Change the user's home directory + Move the contents of the user's current directory:

usermod -m -d /newhome/username username

-m (abbreviation for --move-home) will move the content from the user's current directory to the new directory.


From Linux Change Default User Home Directory While Adding A New User:

Simply open this file using a text editor, type:

vi /etc/default/useradd

The default home directory defined by HOME variable, find line that read as follows:

HOME=/home

Replace with:

HOME=/iscsi/user

Save and close the file. Now you can add user using regular useradd command:

# useradd vivek# passwd vivek

Verify user information:

# finger vivek


The accepted answer is faulty, since the contents from the initial user folder are not moved using it. I am going to add another answer to correct it:

sudo usermod -d /newhome/username -m username

You don't need to create the folder with username and this will also move your files from the initial user folder to /newhome/username folder.