newgrp(1) manual page
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newgrp - log in to a new group
/usr/bin/newgrp
[ - | -l ] [ group ]
newgrp [ argument ]
*
- newgrp [ argument ... ]
-
SUNWcsu
The newgrp
command logs a user into a new group by changing a user’s real and effective
group ID. The user remains logged in and the current directory is unchanged.
The execution of newgrp always replaces the current shell with a new shell,
even if the command terminates with an error (unknown group).
Any variable
that is not exported is reset to null or its default value. Exported variables
retain their values. System variables (such as PS1
, PS2
, PATH
, MAIL
, and
HOME
), are reset to default values unless they have been exported by the
system or the user. For example, when a user has a primary prompt string
(PS1
) other than $ (default) and has not exported PS1
, the user’s PS1
will
be set to the default prompt string $, even if newgrp terminates with an
error. Note that the shell command export (see sh(1)
and set(1)
) is the
method to export variables so that they retain their assigned value when
invoking new shells.
With no operands and options, newgrp changes the user’s
group IDs (real and effective) back to the group specified in the user’s
password file entry. This is a way to exit the effect of an earlier newgrp
command.
A password is demanded if the group has a password and the user
is not listed in /etc/group as being a member of that group. The only way
to create a password for a group is to use passwd(1)
, then cut and paste
the password from /etc/shadow to /etc/group. Group passwords are antiquated
and not often used.
Equivalent to exec newgrp argument where argument
represents the options and/or operand of the newgrp command.
Equivalent
to exec /bin/newgrp argument where argument represents the options and/or
operand of the newgrp command.
On this man page, ksh(1)
commands that
are preceded by one or two * (asterisks) are treated specially in the
following ways:
.- Variable assignment lists preceding the command remain
in effect when the command completes.
.- I/O redirections are processed after
variable assignments.
.- Errors cause a script that contains them to abort.
.- Words, following a command preceded by ** that are in the format of a
variable assignment, are expanded with the same rules as a variable assignment.
This means that tilde substitution is performed after the = sign and word
splitting and file name generation are not performed.
The following
option is supported:
- -l
- -
- change the environment to what would be expected
if the user actually logged in again as a member of the new group.
The
following operand is supported:
- group
- A group name from the group database
or a non-negative numeric group ID. Specifies the group ID to which the real
and effective group IDs will be set. If group is a non-negative numeric string
and exists in the group database as a group name (see getgrnam(3C)
), the
numeric group ID associated with that group name will be used as the group
ID.
- argument
- sh and ksh only. Options and/or operand of the newgrp command.
See environ(5)
for descriptions of the following environment
variables that affect the execution of newgrp: LC_CTYPE
, LC_MESSAGES
, and
NLSPATH
.
If newgrp succeeds in creating a new shell execution
environment, whether or not the group identification was changed successfully,
the exit status will be the exit status of the shell. Otherwise, the following
exit value is returned:
- >0
- An error occurred.
- /etc/group
- system’s group
file
- /etc/passwd
- system’s password file
login(1)
, ksh(1)
, set(1)
,
sh(1)
, intro(2)
, getgrnam(3C)
, group(4)
, passwd(4)
, environ(5)
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