6.1. Synopsis

Contributed by Neil Blakey-Milner <nbm@FreeBSD.org> February 2000.

All access to the system is achieved via accounts, and all processes are run by users, so user and account management are of integral importance on FreeBSD systems.

There are three main types of accounts; the Superuser, system users, and user accounts. The Superuser account, usually called root, is used to manage the system with no limitations on privileges. System users run services. Finally, user accounts are used by real people, who log on, read mail, and so forth.