## Name

userdel - delete a user account

## Synopsis

```**sh
# userdel [-r] <login>
```

## Description

This program deletes a user account in the system.

This program must be run as root.

## Options

-   `-r`, `--remove`: Remove the home directory for this user if the directory exists.

## Exit Values

-   0 - Success
-   1 - Couldn't update the password file
-   6 - Specified user doesn't exist
-   12 - Couldn't remove home directory

## Files

-   `/etc/passwd` - user information (such as UID and GID) in this file is deleted.
-   `/home/` - user home directory is deleted if the `-r` flag is specified.

## Examples

```sh
# userdel alice
# userdel -r alice
# userdel --remove alice
```

## See Also

-   [`usermod`(8)](help://man/8/usermod)
-   [`useradd`(8)](help://man/8/useradd)