How to move user to a group in Linux...

Linux Add User To Group

How can I add a user to a group under Linux operating system using command line options? How to add an existing user into a group in Linux using command line options?

You can use the useradd or usermod commands to add a user to a group. The useradd command creates a new user or update default new user information. The usermod command modifies a user account and it is useful to add user to existing groups. There are two types of groups under Linux operating systems:

Tutorial details
Difficulty	Intermediate (rss)
Root privileges	Yes
Requirements	usermod/useradd
Estimated completion time	5 minutes

1. Primary user group.
2. Secondary or supplementary user group.
   

All user account related information are stored in the following files:

1. /etc/passwd - Contains one line for each user account.
2. /etc/shadow - Contains the password information in encrypted formatfor the system's accounts and optional account aging information.
3. /etc/group - Defines the groups on the system.
4. /etc/default/useradd - This file contains a value for the default group, if none is specified by the useradd command.
5. /etc/login.defs - This file defines the site-specific configuration for the shadow password suite stored in /etc/shadow file.
   

useradd Example - Add a new user to secondary group

You need to the useradd command to add new users to existing group (or create a new group and then add user). If group does not exist, create it. The syntax is as follows:
useradd -G {group-name} username
In this example, create a new user called vivek and add it to group called developers. First login as a root user (make sure group developers exists), enter:
# grep developers /etc/group
Output:

developers:x:1124:

If you do not see any output then you need to add group developers using the groupadd command:
# groupadd developers
Next, add a user called vivek to group developers:
# useradd -G developers vivek
Setup password for user vivek:
# passwd vivek
Ensure that user added properly to group developers:
# id vivek
Output:

uid=1122(vivek) gid=1125(vivek) groups=1125(vivek),1124(developers)

Please note that capital G (-G) option add user to a list of supplementary groups. Each group is separated from the next by a comma, with no intervening whitespace. For example, add user jerry to groups admins, ftp, www, and developers, enter:
# useradd -G admins,ftp,www,developers jerry

useradd example - Add a new user to primary group

To add a user tony to group developers use the following command:
# useradd -g developers tony
# id tony
Sample outputs:

uid=1123(tony) gid=1124(developers) groups=1124(developers)

Please note that small g (-g) option add user to initial login group (primary group). The group name must exist. A group number must refer to an already existing group.

usermod example - Add a existing user to existing group

Add existing user tony to ftp supplementary/secondary group with the usermod command using the -a option ~ i.e. add the user to the supplemental group(s). Use only with -G option:
# usermod -a -G ftp tony
In this example, change tony user's primary group to www, enter:
# usermod -g www tony

usermod command options summary

Option	Purpose
-a --append	Add the user to the supplementary group(s). Use only with the -G option.
-g GROUP --gid GROUP	Use this GROUP as the default group.
-G GRP1,GRP2 --groups GRP1,GRP2	Add the user to GRP1,GRP2 secondary group.

A note about security

If you add or delete user to existing group, you must change the owner of any crontab files or at jobs manually. You must make any changes involving NIS on the NIS server too.

A note about GUI tool

You will probably find the use of the GUI tool easy. KDE user can use KUser tool and the GNOME user can use users-admin tool called system-config-users:
# system-config-users
Sample outputs:

Fig.01: User Manager Tool in action (image credit Fedora project)

See also

For more information type the following command at the shell prompt:
$ man usermod
$ man useradd

DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINE -- DSL

A technology that increases the digital capacity of ordinary telephone lines (the local loops) into the home or office for Internet and TV service. Depending on the DSL version, speed is based on the distance between the customer and telco central office or telephone junction box.

DSL provides "always-on" operation. At the central office, DSL traffic is aggregated in a unit called the DSL Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) and forwarded to the appropriate ISP or data network. DSL arrived in the late 1990s with more version alphabet soup than most any other new transmission technology.

Asymmetric: Fast Down - Slow Up

ADSL - (Asymmetric DSL)

ADSL shares ordinary telephone lines by using higher frequencies than human speech. To eliminate interference, the first DSL deployments required a technician from the phone company to install a splitter that divided the line into separate DSL and phone lines. Subsequent splitterless versions (known as G.Lite, Universal ADSL and ADSL Lite) eliminated the support visit but require the user to plug filters

into every phone outlet.

ADSL is available in two modulation schemes: Discrete Multitone (DMT) or Carrierless Amplitude Phase (CAP).

ADSL Transmission

The higher frequencies of DSL have to be filtered out for regular telephones, answering and fax machines.

The Filter

Low-pass DSL filters split the line between phone and DSL modem. When DSL is installed, every telephone and answering machine must plug into the filter.

RADSL (Rate Adaptive DSL)
RADSL is a version of ADSL that adjusts speeds based on signal quality. Many ADSL technologies are actually RADSL.


VDSL/VHDSL (Very High Bit Rate DSL)
VDSL is used as the final drop from a fiber optic junction point to nearby customers. VDSL lets an apartment or office complex obtain high-bandwidth services using their existing copper wires without having to replace them with optical fibers. Like ADSL, VDSL can share the line with the telephone.

Whereas VDSL achieves 50 Mbps transmission speed at 1,000 feet, VDSL2 extended the length of the path to 3,300 feet and delivers 100 Mbps at 1,600 feet. See G.fast.

Symmetric - Same Speed Both Ways

HDSL (High Bit Rate DSL)
HDSL provides T1 transmission over copper wires without the additional provisioning required for setting up T1 circuits, such as bridged tap removal and repeater installation. HDSL requires two cable pairs up to 12,000 feet, while HDSL-2 requires only one cable pair and spans 18,000 feet. HDSL does not allow line sharing with analog phones.


SDSL (Symmetric DSL)
SDSL is an HDSL variation that is rate adaptive, uses one cable pair and is offered in speeds from 144 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps. Like HDSL, SDSL does not share lines with analog phones.


IDSL (ISDN DSL)
IDSL is a slightly faster basic BRI ISDN service. It uses the 16 Kbps "D" channel for data rather than call setup to achieve 144 Kbps instead of 128 Kbps. It also offers the longest distance of 26,000 feet. Unlike standard ISDN, IDSL does not support analog phones, and signals are not switched through the telephone network. Since IDSL uses the same 2B1Q line coding as ISDN, ISDN customers can use existing BRI terminal adapters and routers. See ISDN.