/etc/group

/etc/group stores local group records. It maps group names to numeric GIDs and lists explicit members, supporting access control shared by several accounts.

Query the resolved group database with getent:

$ getent group
$ getent group developers

Group lists can disclose internal account and role names, so review output before sharing it.

Group passwords are a legacy feature used by tools such as newgrp in some configurations. They are not the normal mechanism for granting sudo authorization and should not be introduced through manual field edits.

For example, if Alice's passwd record has primary GID 1500, she belongs to developers even if the local group record ends with an empty member field:

developers:x:1500:

This is why parsing field 4 alone produces an incomplete membership view.

For the current process, plain id reports the groups actually present in its credentials. A newly configured supplementary membership usually does not appear in an already running login session; start a new authenticated session or use a deliberately configured mechanism such as newgrp when appropriate.

If manual local database repair is unavoidable, use vigr for locking and grpck for validation. Keep a recovery path before remote identity changes.

To practice local group management in a controlled environment, try these hands-on labs:

1. Manage Linux User Accounts with useradd, usermod, and userdel - Practice the complete lifecycle of user administration, from creating and securing new accounts to modifying and deleting them.
2. Manage Linux Groups with groupadd, usermod, and groupdel - Gain hands-on experience with core command-line utilities for group administration, including groupadd, usermod, and groupdel.
3. Add New User and Group - Simulate adding new team members to a server environment by creating new user accounts, setting up custom groups, and managing group memberships.