How to create non-root user on Hostinger

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-13

Quick Answer

Log in as root via Hostinger hPanel Terminal or SSH, create a new user with <code>adduser username</code>, add to sudo group using <code>usermod -aG sudo username</code>, test with <code>su - username</code> and <code>sudo whoami</code>. This enhances security by avoiding daily root logins. Optionally set up SSH keys and disable root login.

Prerequisites

Hostinger VPS with Ubuntu/Debian
Root access via hPanel Terminal or SSH
Basic terminal knowledge
VPS IP address and root password

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access VPS Terminal as root

Sign in to your Hostinger hPanel, navigate to VPS section, select your VPS, and click Terminal in the top menu to open the web-based SSH terminal which logs you in as root by default. Alternatively, use SSH from your local terminal:

ssh root@<VPS_IP>

and enter root password if prompted.

Verify root login

In the terminal, run whoami to confirm output shows root. The prompt should end with # instead of $, indicating root privileges.

If not root, ensure you're using the correct access method.

Create new non-root user

Run adduser <username> (e.g., adduser myuser). Enter a strong password twice when prompted, fill optional GECOS fields like full name or press Enter to skip, then type Y and Enter to confirm. The user's home directory will be /home/<username> with shell /bin/bash.

Choose a unique username to avoid 'user exists' errors.

Add user to sudo group

Execute usermod -aG sudo <username> (e.g., usermod -aG sudo myuser). This grants the user administrative privileges via sudo commands without needing root login.

Test the new user locally

Switch to the new user with su - <username>, enter the user's password. Prompt changes to $. Run whoami to verify username, then sudo whoami (enter user password; should output root).

Use this to simulate daily admin tasks securely.

Exit test and enable SSH for non-root

Run exit to return to root. Test SSH login from local machine: ssh <username>@<VPS_IP> and enter user password. For better security, generate SSH keys locally with ssh-keygen and copy public key using ssh-copy-id root@<VPS_IP>.

SSH keys prevent password brute-force attacks.

Update packages as non-root user

SSH as the new user, then run

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

. Enter user password when prompted. This demonstrates sudo functionality for maintenance tasks.

Enhance security by disabling root login

As the new user or root, edit SSH config: sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config, set PermitRootLogin no, save and exit, then restart SSH: sudo systemctl restart ssh. Now only non-root SSH is allowed.

Always test non-root SSH before disabling root.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

useradd: user <username> already exists

Choose a different username and retry <code>adduser <newusername></code>.

User is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.

Run <code>usermod -aG sudo <username></code> as root and log out/in to apply group changes.

Cannot SSH as non-root user

Ensure <code>PasswordAuthentication yes</code> in <code>/etc/ssh/sshd_config</code>, restart SSH, or set up SSH keys.

sudo prompts for root password instead of user password

Switch to user with <code>su - <username></code> or log out/in; sudo uses user password by default.

Weak password rejected

Use a strong password with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols to meet Linux policy.

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