homectl

List user accounts and home directories

$ homectl list

$ sudo homectl create [username]

$ sudo homectl remove [username]

$ sudo homectl passwd [username]

$ sudo homectl with [username] -- [command]

$ sudo homectl lock [username]

$ sudo homectl resize [username] 100G

$ homectl -h

homectl [command] [options] [user]

homectl manages user accounts and home directories via systemd-homed, a systemd service that provides portable, encrypted home directories.
systemd-homed stores user accounts as self-contained records with their home directories. Home directories can be encrypted (LUKS), enabling security features like automatic locking on suspend and portable home directories that can be moved between machines.
Features include:
- Encrypted home directories
- Automatic locking on suspend/idle
- Disk quota management
- Portable home directories

list

List managed home directories

Create new user with home directory

Remove user and home directory

Change user password

Run command with access to user's home

Lock home directory (deactivate)

Unlock home directory (activate)

Change home directory size

Show user record details

Update user properties

Storage type: luks, directory, subvolume, fscrypt, cifs

Requires systemd-homed service. Not compatible with traditional /etc/passwd management. Some services may not work correctly with homed users. LUKS homes require unlocking at login.

homectl and systemd-homed were introduced in systemd 245 (2020) by Lennart Poettering. They represent a modern approach to Linux user management with built-in encryption and portability features.

useradd(8), usermod(8), loginctl(1), systemd-homed(8)