groupadd (Linux command)

Name

 * groupadd - Create a new group

Synopsis

 * standard: groupadd [-g gid [-o]] group
 * Red Hat: groupadd [-g gid [-o]] [-r] [-f] group

Description

 * The command creates a new group account using the values specified on the command line and the default values from the system. The new group will be entered into the system files as needed. The options which apply to the groupadd command are

Files

 * /etc/group - group account information
 * /etc/gshadow - secure group account information

Author

 * Julianne Frances Haugh (jockgrrl@ix.netcom)

Examples

 * /usr/bin/groupadd newgrp
 * Creates group newgrp

Questions

 * What special handling do system accounts receive under Red Hat? (See "notes" for known information about system accounts.)
 * The action of the -r option ("add a system account") is a little unclear -- does it create a system-type user account in addition to creating a group account? (And if so, what is the account's name?) Or is it merely adding a special system attribute to the group account created? If the latter, then the purpose of such accounts remains even less clear, as group accounts are by definition never logged into.

Edit Log

 * 2005-06-09 Transcribed from Red Hat Linux 7.1 2.96-98 Linux manpages and KUbuntu "hoary" (Debian 1:3.3.5-8ubuntu2) manpages.