While scripting it is necessary to gather entries from administrative database such as passwd, group files or services, protocols or networks etc. Traditionally grep is choice of all UNIX administrators but recently I found GNU getent command. The command is quick, saves time:
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The getent program gathers entries from the specified administrative database using the specified search keys. For example:
$ getent passwd vivek
$ getnet group admins
$ getent protocols vrrp
$ getent services www
Overall, it supports following databases:
- ahosts
- ahostsv4
- ahostsv6
- aliases
- ethers
- group
- hosts
- netgroup
- networks
- passwd
- protocols
- rpc services
- shadow
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What is the best way to edit /etc/passwd, shadow, and group files?
| Category | List of Unix and Linux commands |
|---|---|
| File Management | cat |
| Firewall | CentOS 8 • OpenSUSE • RHEL 8 • Ubuntu 16.04 • Ubuntu 18.04 • Ubuntu 20.04 |
| Network Utilities | dig • host • ip • nmap |
| OpenVPN | CentOS 7 • CentOS 8 • Debian 10 • Debian 8/9 • Ubuntu 18.04 • Ubuntu 20.04 |
| Package Manager | apk • apt |
| Processes Management | bg • chroot • cron • disown • fg • jobs • killall • kill • pidof • pstree • pwdx • time |
| Searching | grep • whereis • which |
| User Information | groups • id • lastcomm • last • lid/libuser-lid • logname • members • users • whoami • who • w |
| WireGuard VPN | CentOS 8 • Debian 10 • Firewall • Ubuntu 20.04 |
please help to learn further