groups

user managementLinux/Unix

The groups command is one of the most frequently used commands in Linux/Unix-like operating systems. groups Print the groups a user is in

See Examples View Syntax

Quick Reference

Command Name:

groups

Category:

user management

Platform:

Linux/Unix

Basic Usage:

groups [options] [arguments]

Common Use Cases

Syntax

groups [username...]

Options

Option	Description
`--help`	Display help information and exit
`--version`	Output version information and exit

Examples

How to Use These Examples

The examples below show common ways to use the groups command. Try them in your terminal to see the results. You can copy any example by clicking on the code block.

Basic Examples:

groups

Display the groups the current user belongs to.

groups alice

Display the groups that user alice belongs to.

groups alice bob charlie

Display the groups for multiple users.

Advanced Examples:

groups $(whoami) Display the current user's groups using command substitution. groups root | tr ' ' '\n' Display root's groups, one per line. groups user1 user2 > user_groups.txt Save group information for multiple users to a file.

Try It Yourself

Practice makes perfect! The best way to learn is by trying these examples on your own system with real files.

Understanding Syntax

Pay attention to the syntax coloring: commands, options, and file paths are highlighted differently.

Notes

The groups command displays the group memberships for a specified user or, if no user is specified, for the current user. This information is useful for understanding a user's access permissions and capabilities in a Unix-like system. Key features of groups: 1. User Group Identification: groups quickly reveals all the groups a user belongs to, which is essential for understanding their access rights in a multi-user environment. 2. Multiple User Support: The command can display group information for multiple users at once, making it useful for system administration tasks. 3. Current User Default: When run without arguments, groups displays information for the current user, making it a quick way to check your own group memberships. 4. Simple Output Format: The command produces straightforward output with the username followed by a list of group names, separated by spaces. 5. System Authentication Integration: groups uses the system's authentication mechanisms to retrieve accurate and up-to-date group membership information. 6. Complementary to Other Commands: It works well with commands like id, whoami, and getent to provide a complete picture of user identity and access rights. 7. Standard Input Support: If necessary, groups can read usernames from standard input, allowing for more flexible usage in scripts. In Linux and Unix systems, group memberships are a fundamental part of the access control mechanism. The groups command helps administrators and users quickly determine what resources a user can access based on their group memberships. It's particularly useful when troubleshooting permission issues or when setting up new users with appropriate access rights.

Related Commands

These commands are frequently used alongside groups or serve similar purposes:

Use Cases

Learn By Doing

The best way to learn Linux commands is by practicing. Try out these examples in your terminal to build muscle memory and understand how the groups command works in different scenarios.

See Examples Try Lab Exercises

$ groups

View All Commands