groupadd — Create a group

Linux / User and Security Management / groupadd.html

Creates a new user group and assigns it a GID.

Basic Information

What is this command?

groupadd adds a new entry to /etc/group. Adding members is a separate step (usermod -aG or gpasswd -a); groupadd only creates the group.

Groups grant the same permissions to several accounts at once. Combining purpose-specific groups with directory group ownership and the setgid bit enables shared directories without widening individual permissions.

What problems does it solve?

• Creating a shared group for deployment or operations
• Granting several service accounts access to one directory
• Pinning a GID so multiple hosts stay consistent
• Adding new accounts to an existing permission model

Key features

Creating a group

Specify only a name and the next free GID is assigned.

• When to use: Creating a typical collaboration group
• What you get: A group referenceable by name exists.
• Limitations: Existing names are rejected, so check first.

Fixing the GID

The -g option assigns a specific number.

• When to use: When the same GID must exist on multiple hosts
• What you get: Permissions match on NFS or shared volumes.
• Limitations: Creation fails if the GID is taken.

System groups

The -r option uses the low GID range for services.

• When to use: Creating groups dedicated to daemons
• What you get: Keeps service groups separate from user groups.
• Limitations: Ranges differ by distribution, so do not assume a GID.

Installation and usage

Check whether it is installed

groupadd --help

sudo apt install passwd # Debian/Ubuntu sudo dnf install shadow-utils # Fedora

Real-world examples

Create a regular group

Create a group by name alone.

sudo groupadd deploy

Assign a specific GID

Use the same GID across hosts.

sudo groupadd -g 3000 deploy

Add members

Add accounts to the group as a supplementary group.

sudo usermod -aG deploy alice
getent group deploy