Which of the following files assigns a user to its primary group?

The correct answer is C. /etc/passwd. /etc/passwd assigns a user to their primary group via the fourth field (GID), which maps to a group ID defined in /etc/group - making C correct. /etc/group (D) lists group memberships and supplementary group members, but it doesn't define which group is a user's primary one…

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Question

Which of the following files assigns a user to its primary group?

Options

A/etc/pgroup
B/etc/shadow
C/etc/passwd
D/etc/group
E/etc/gshadow

How the community answered

(50 responses)

A
16% (8)
B
6% (3)
C
72% (36)
D
2% (1)
E
4% (2)

Explanation

/etc/passwd assigns a user to their primary group via the fourth field (GID), which maps to a group ID defined in /etc/group - making C correct. /etc/group (D) lists group memberships and supplementary group members, but it doesn't define which group is a user's primary one. /etc/shadow (B) stores hashed passwords and account aging data, with no group information. /etc/gshadow (E) stores secure group account information (group passwords and admins), not primary group assignments. /etc/pgroup (A) doesn't exist as a standard Linux file.

Memory tip: Think of /etc/passwd as the user's own record - it contains everything personal to that user, including their primary group ID. /etc/group is the group's record, listing who belongs to it as a supplementary member.

Topics

#user accounts#group assignment#/etc/passwd#system files

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