Gentoo Linux AMD64 Handbook

Choosing the Right
Installation Medium
Example 2.5. Changing the root password
# passwd
New password: (Enter your new password)
Re-enter password: (Re-enter your password)
To create a user account, we first enter their credentials, followed by its password. We use useradd
and passwd for these tasks. In the next example, we create a user called "john".
Example 2.6. Creating a user account
# useradd -m -G users john
# passwd john
New password: (Enter john's password)
Re-enter password: (Re-enter john's password)
You can change your user id from root to the newly created user by using su:
Example 2.7. Changing user id
# su - john
Optional: Viewing Documentation while Installing
If you want to view the Gentoo Handbook during the installation, make sure you have created a user
account (see Optional: User Accounts [#useraccounts]). Then press Alt-F2 to go to a new terminal.
You can view the handbook using links, once you have completed the Configuring your Network
chapter (otherwise you won't be able to go on the Internet to view the document):
Example 2.8. Viewing the Online Documentation
# links http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-amd64.xml
You can go back to your original terminal by pressing Alt-F1.
Optional: Starting the SSH Daemon
If you want to allow other users to access your computer during the Gentoo installation (perhaps
because those users are going to help you install Gentoo, or even do it for you), you need to create
a user account for them and perhaps even provide them with your root password (only do that if you
fully trust that user).
To fire up the SSH daemon, execute the following command:
Example 2.9. Starting the SSH daemon
# /etc/init.d/sshd start
Note
If you (or other users) log on to the system, they will get a message that the host key for this
system needs to be confirmed (through what is called a fingerprint). This is to be expected
12