NAME

initgroups − initialize group access list

SYNOPSIS

initgroups(name, basegid)
char *name;
int basegid;

DESCRIPTION

Initgroups reads the login group file, /etc/logingroup, and sets up the group access list for the user specified by name, using the setgroups(2) system call. If the value of basegid is zero or positive, it is automatically included in the groups list.  Typically this value is given as the group number from the password file.  If the login group file does not exist or is empty, basegid is the only member of the list. 

DIAGNOSTICS

Initgroups returns −1 if it was not invoked by the super-user. 

WARNINGS

Initgroups uses the routines based on getgrent(3C). If the invoking program uses any of these routines, the group structure is overwritten by the call to initgroups.

On many systems, no one seems to keep /etc/logingroup up to date. 

AUTHOR

Initgroups was developed by the University of California, Berkeley. 

FILES

/etc/logingrouplogin group file

SEE ALSO

login(1), su(1), setgroups(2), group(4). 

Hewlett-Packard Company  —  May 11, 2021