shadow/man/groupadd.8.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<refentry id='groupadd.8'>
  <!-- $Id: groupadd.8.xml,v 1.29 2007/02/01 20:49:25 kloczek Exp $ -->
  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>groupadd</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
    <refmiscinfo class="sectdesc">System Management Commands</refmiscinfo>
  </refmeta>
  <refnamediv id='name'>
    <refname>groupadd</refname>
    <refpurpose>create a new group</refpurpose>
  </refnamediv>
  <!-- body begins here -->
  <refsynopsisdiv id='synopsis'>
    <cmdsynopsis>
      <command>groupadd</command>
      <arg choice='opt'>
	<arg choice='plain'>-g <replaceable>GID</replaceable></arg>
	<arg choice='opt'>-o</arg>
      </arg>
      <arg choice='opt'>-f </arg>
      <arg choice='opt'>-K <replaceable>KEY</replaceable>=<replaceable>VALUE</replaceable></arg>
      <arg choice='plain'>
	<replaceable>group</replaceable>
      </arg>
    </cmdsynopsis>
  </refsynopsisdiv>

  <refsect1 id='description'>
    <title>DESCRIPTION</title>
    <para>The <command>groupadd</command> command creates a new group
      account using the values specified on the command line plus the default
      values from the system. The new group will be entered into the system
      files as needed.
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='options'>
    <title>OPTIONS</title>
    <para>
      The options which apply to the <command>groupadd</command> command
      are:
    </para>
    <variablelist remap='IP'>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-f</option>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    This option causes the command to simply exit with success
	    status if the specified group already exists. When used with
	    <option>-g</option>, and the specified GID already exists,
	    another (unique) GID is chosen (i.e. <option>-g</option> is
	    turned off).
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-g</option> <replaceable>GID</replaceable>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>The numerical value of the group's ID. This value must be
	    unique, unless the <option>-o</option> option is used. The value
	    must be non-negative. The default is to use the smallest ID
	    value greater than 999 and greater than every other group.
	    Values between 0 and 999 are typically reserved for system
	    accounts.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><option>-h</option>, <option>--help</option></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Display help message and exit.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-K <replaceable>KEY</replaceable>=<replaceable>VALUE</replaceable></option>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    Overrides <filename>/etc/login.defs</filename> defaults 
	    (GID_MIN, GID_MAX and others). Multiple
	    <option>-K</option> options can be specified.
	  </para>
	  <para>
	     Example: <option>-K </option><replaceable>GID_MIN</replaceable>=<replaceable>100</replaceable>
	    <option> -K </option><replaceable>GID_MAX</replaceable>=<replaceable>499</replaceable>
	  </para>
	  <para>
	    Note: <option>-K </option>
	    <replaceable>GID_MIN</replaceable>=<replaceable>10</replaceable>,<replaceable>GID_MAX</replaceable>=<replaceable>499</replaceable>
	    doesn't work yet.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term>
	  <option>-o</option>
	</term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>
	    This option permits to add a group with a non-unique GID.
	  </para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='files'>
    <title>FILES</title>
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><filename>/etc/group</filename></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Group account information.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><filename>/etc/gshadow</filename></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Secure group account information.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
	<term><filename>/etc/login.defs</filename></term>
	<listitem>
	  <para>Shadow password suite configuration.</para>
	</listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </refsect1>

   <refsect1 id='caveats'>
     <title>CAVEATS</title>
     <para>Groupnames must begin with a lower case letter or an underscore, and 
       only lower case letters, underscores, dashes, and dollar signs may 
       follow. In regular expression terms: [a-z_][a-z0-9_-]*[$]
     </para>
     <para>
       If the groupname already exists in an external group database
       such as NIS, <command>groupadd</command> will deny the group
       creation request.
     </para>
     <para>Groupnames may only be up to 16 characters long.</para>
   </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='exit_values'>
    <title>EXIT VALUES</title>
    <para>
      The <command>groupadd</command> command exits with the following values:
      <variablelist>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>0</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>success</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>2</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>invalid command syntax</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>3</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>invalid argument to option</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>4</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>GID not unique (when <option>-o</option> not used)</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>9</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>group name not unique</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
	<varlistentry>
	  <term><replaceable>10</replaceable></term>
	  <listitem>
	    <para>can't update group file</para>
	  </listitem>
	</varlistentry>
      </variablelist>
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1 id='see_also'>
    <title>SEE ALSO</title>
    <para><citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>chfn</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>chsh</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>passwd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>gpasswd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>groupdel</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>groupmod</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>login.defs</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>useradd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>userdel</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>,
      <citerefentry>
	<refentrytitle>usermod</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
      </citerefentry>.
    </para>
  </refsect1>
</refentry>