The “groups” Command in Linux [6 Practical Examples]

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As a multi-user system, there can be lots of users in Linux. And a group is a collection of users in Linux that helps to manage those multiple users with the same security and privileges. Moreover, One user can be part of multiple groups. The groups command in Linux allows users to see which groups they and other users belong to. In this article, I will describe all the features and uses of the groups command in Linux with multiple examples.

A. Description

The groups command in Linux is not a frequently used command. But it is helpful to know the groups to which a user belongs. Users with similar security and access rights can be easily managed through groups. Using the groups command, you can print information about running user groups as well as information about other users.

B. Syntax

The syntax of the groups command in Linux  is very simple and is as below:

groups [OPTION]... [USERNAME]...
Note: In the syntax above, a square bracket means the OPTIONS are not mandatory and three dots after the square bracket mean multiple OPTIONS can be used after the groups command.

C. Options

There are a few options available for the groups command. I have listed a few of them below. However, You can learn more about the groups command, its options and their uses by checking the man page.

man groups

Useful Options

  • –help: Offers a brief description of the groupscommand and links to resources that are related.
  • –version: provides the version details of the groups.
Note: Commands and their options are case-sensitive in Linux. So, be careful while using them.

Practical Examples of the “groups” Command in Linux

In Linux, the groups command is a helpful tool. In the section below, I will show you some of the most useful applications for the groups command in Linux.

Example 1: Check the Current User’s Belonging Group With the “groups” Command In Linux

The groups to which the current user belongs can be checked with the groups command. Here, I will provide an example of the groups command, which displays the groups that the current user belongs to. To do so, you can follow the steps below:

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first, open the Ubuntu Terminal.

 Type the following command into the command prompt:

groups

➌ Now, press the ENTER button.

Output >

When you use the command groups, you will get the list of groups that the current user belongs to. The result is as below.Picture showing groups of current user using groups command in linux


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Example 2: Check Other User’s Belonging Group With the “groups” Command In Linux

The groups to which another user belongs can be checked with the groups command. Here, I will displays the groups that the user named “kakon” belongs to using the groups command in Linux.. To do so, you can follow the steps below.

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first, open the Ubuntu Terminal.

 Type the following command into the command prompt:

groups kakon

➌ Now, press the ENTER button.

Output >

In the following image, you can see the list of groups that the user kakon belongs to.Picture showing the groups of user "kakon" using the groups command in linux

Example 3: Check the Belonging Groups of Multiple Users at a Time

The groups command allows you to check which groups users belong to. Here, I will use the groups command to show the groups of multiple users. To do so, you can follow the steps below:

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first open the Ubuntu Terminal.

 Type the following command into the command prompt:

groups kakon amdadul

➌ Now, press the ENTER button.

Output >

In the picture below, you can see the groups of users kakon and amdadul. The groups that a user belongs to are shown followed by the user_name_: in the terminal.Picture showing the groups of multiple users.


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Example 4: List the Existing Groups in Your System

Here, I will show you an example of the groups command to show the groups that exist in your system. You can see the existing group list of your system by following the steps below.

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first open the Ubuntu Terminal.

 Type the following command into the command prompt:

cat /etc/group

OR,

getent group
Note: Both commands will give you the exact same result.

➌ Now, press the ENTER button.

Output >

After executing the commands above, you will get a list of groups as below.List of groups in the system.The result for the command getent group is exactly the same.List of groups in the system.You can look for a specific group by typing the command getent group followed by its name. Then, you will get the result as below.

getent group kakon

Picture showing a specific group named "kakon".


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Example 5: Getting Help Information About the “groups” Command in Linux

In this example, I will show you the helping instruction for the groups command. Follow the steps below to get a brief description and helpful link for the groups command.

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first open the Ubuntu Terminal.

 Type the following command into the command prompt:

groups --help

➌ Now, press the ENTER button.

Output >

After executing the command, you will get the help instruction in the terminal.Picture showing the help page of the groups command in linux.


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Example 6: Checking the Version of the “groups” Command in Linux

You will be able to check the version of the groups command using the groups –version command. In this section, I will show you the version of the groups command. You can get the same result by following the steps below.

Steps to Follow >

➊ At first open the Ubuntu Terminal.

 Type the following command into the command prompt:

groups --version

➌ Now, press the ENTER button.

Output >

After running the command above, you will receive the version of the groups command as well as a relative description of the groups command.Picture showing the version of groups command in linux.

Conclusion

In this article, I’ve shown the operation of the groups command. I’ve also provided some relevant examples. You should be able to use the groups command effectively on your own if you properly read this article and follow the above-mentioned guidelines.


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S. M. Amdadul Islam

Hello everyone. I am S. M. Amdadul Islam, currently working as a Linux Content Developer Executive at SOFTEKO. I am a Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) graduate from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. In addition to my regular work, I enjoy watching Youtube, discovering new things, gossiping with friends, visiting new places, and taking photos of landscapes. Read Full Bio

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