Create a sudo user on a Linux VPS - Documentation Infrawire

Logging in only as root is convenient but risky. This guide shows how to create a dedicated user with sudo and SSH key access — a great complement to Secure SSH and UFW.

📋 Prerequisites

A Linux VPS (Ubuntu/Debian) with root or sudo access and an active SSH session.

Create the user

Replace deploy with your preferred username:

Bash
1sudo adduser deploy
2sudo usermod -aG sudo deploy

Add to the sudo group

Bash
1sudo groups deploy
2# doit afficher : deploy sudo (ou wheel sur certaines distros)

Set up an SSH key

On your PC, generate a key if needed (ssh-keygen -t ed25519). Then copy it to the server (as root, or as the new user once sudo works):

Bash
1ssh-copy-id deploy@IP_DU_VPS

Puis connectez-vous : ssh deploy@IP_DU_VPS

Test sudo

Bash
1sudo apt update
2# ou : sudo whoami → root

Best practices

Disable root password login after testing (see Secure SSH).
Keep the SSH port allowed in UFW.
Use strong passwords if you keep password authentication as a fallback.

Happy deploying! 🚀