newgrp

- log in to a new group

Synopsis

Command

/usr/bin/newgrp [-| -l] [group]

sh Built-in

newgrp [argument]

ksh Built-in

*newgrp [argument]

Description

Command

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.

sh Built-in

Equivalent to exec newgrp argument where argument represents the options and/or operand of the newgrp command.

ksh Built-in

Equivalent to exec to/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:

1. Variable assignment lists preceding the command remain in effect when the command completes.

2. I/O redirections are processed after variable assignments.

3. Errors cause a script that contains them to abort.

4. 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.

Options

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.

Operands

The following operands are 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.

Environment Variables

See environ(5) for descriptions of the following environment variables that affect the execution of newgrp: LANG, LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES, and NLSPATH.

Exit Status

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.

Files

/etc/group

system's group file

/etc/passwd

system's password file

Attributes

See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

See Also

login(1), ksh(1), set(1), sh(1), Intro(3), getgrnam(3C), group(4), passwd(4), attributes(5), environ(5), standards(5)