solaris - group (1)

     group - group file

     The group file is a local source of group information.   The
     group  file  can  be  used  in  conjunction with other group
     sources, including the NIS maps group.byname and group.bygid
     and  the  NIS+  table  group.  Programs use the getgrnam(3C)
     routines to access this information.

     The group file contains a  one-line  entry  for  each  group
     recognized by the system, of the form:

          groupname:password:  gid:user-list

     groupname           The name of the group.

     gid                 The group's unique numerical  ID  within
                         the system.

     user-list           A comma-separated list of users  allowed
                         in the group.

     If the password field is empty,  no  password  is  demanded.
     During  user  identification and authentication, the supple-
     mentary group access list is initialized  sequentially  from
     information  in  this file. If a user is in more groups than
     the system is configured for, {NGROUPS_MAX}, a warning  will
     be   given  and  subsequent  group  specifications  will  be
     ignored.

     Malformed entries cause routines  that  read  this  file  to
     halt,  in  which  case  group  assignments specified further
     along are never made.  To prevent this from  happening,  use
     grpck(1B)  to  check  the  /etc/group  database from time to
     time.

     Previous releases used a group entry beginning  with  a  `+'
     (plus  sign)  or `-' (minus sign) to selectively incorporate
     entries from NIS maps for group. If still required, this  is
     supported  by  specifying  group:compat in nsswitch.conf(4).
     The  ``compat''  source  may  not  be  supported  in  future
     releases.   The preferred sources are, ``files'' followed by
     ``nisplus''.  This  has  the  effect  of  incorporating  the
     entire  contents  of  the  NIS+  group table after the group
     file.

     Here is a sample group file:
          root::0:root
          stooges:q.mJzTnu8icF.:10:larry,moe,curly

     and the sample group entry from nsswitch.conf:
          group: files nisplus

     With these entries, the  group  stooges  will  have  members
     larry,  moe,  and  curly,  and all groups listed in the NIS+
     group table are effectively incorporated after the entry for
     stooges.

     If the group file was:
          root::0:root
          stooges:q.mJzTnu8icF.:10:larry,moe,curly
          +:

     and the group entry from nsswitch.conf:
          group: compat

     all  the  groups  listed  in   the   NIS   group.bygid   and
     group.byname  maps  would  be effectively incorporated after
     the entry for stooges.

     groups(1),     grpck(1B),      newgrp(1),      getgrnam(3C),
     initgroups(3C), nsswitch.conf(4), unistd(4)