newgrp(1) User Commands newgrp(1)NAMEnewgrp - 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 anti‐
quated 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 vari‐
able 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_MES‐
SAGES, 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 fol‐
lowing 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:
┌─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┐
│ ATTRIBUTE TYPE │ ATTRIBUTE VALUE │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┤
│Availability │SUNWcsu │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────┤
│Interface Stability │Standard │
└─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘
SEE ALSOlogin(1), ksh(1), set(1), sh(1), intro(3), getgrnam(3C), group(4),
passwd(4), attributes(5), environ(5), standards(5)SunOS 5.10 1 Feb 1995 newgrp(1)
