How to Change a User’s Default Shell in Linux

Managing user environments is an essential part of Linux system administration. One powerful way to personalize or restrict user sessions is by changing the default login shell. In this article, we’ll walk through two ways to do that using the usermod and chsh commands. If you’re unfamiliar with directory management, check out our guide on creating and removing directories before diving into more advanced user management.

This guide also complements other essential tutorials, such as opening files from the terminal, installing the latest kernel on Ubuntu, or counting string occurrences in files. And if you’re a ViM user, make sure to explore our ViM split screen trick for an optimized terminal experience. For a deeper understanding of how shells interact with your Linux session, visit our introduction to the shell environment.

Verifying the Shell

Before setting a new shell, ensure it’s listed in the /etc/shells file:

grep shell_name /etc/shells

If the shell isn’t listed, you can add it manually as root:

echo /path/to/shell_name >> /etc/shells

Changing the Shell with chsh

The easiest way to change a user’s shell is with the chsh (change shell) command:

chsh -s /path/to/shell username

Changing the Shell with usermod

Alternatively, you can use usermod, which is especially useful in scripts or automated user setups:

usermod -s /path/to/shell username

Examples

Set zsh as the Default Shell

whereis zsh
sudo chsh -s /bin/zsh username

Set tcsh as the Default Shell

whereis tcsh
sudo usermod -s /bin/tcsh username

If you’re working specifically with csh or tcsh shells, make sure you also understand how to set a new PATH in csh/tcsh environments.

Set nologin as the Default Shell (Debian)

whereis nologin
sudo chsh -s /usr/sbin/nologin username

Set false or true as the Default Shell

whereis true
whereis false
chsh -s /bin/false username
usermod -s /bin/true username

These options are often used to disable interactive logins for specific system or service accounts.

Set ViM as the User Shell

If you want to restrict a user to using only ViM, you can make it their default shell:

sudo chsh -s /usr/bin/vim mike99

Conclusion

Customizing a user’s shell is a straightforward yet powerful task in Linux. Whether you’re enhancing their productivity with tools like zsh or restricting access using nologin or false, knowing how to properly set the login shell is key.

Just make sure the desired shell is listed in /etc/shells, and then you can switch shells easily using either chsh or usermod. It’s a small tweak that can have a big impact on how users interact with the system.