change GID

[brian_31]

I have to change the group name for few users which includes the oracle and SAP admin. what would be the impacts of this. we are planning to stop the apps and execute the change. any ideas? environment 11.11

Thanks

brian

[Rick Garland]

Most apparent impact will be on the files for those users. The GID on those files will be numeric.

Why not just add the users to the new group. They will have multiple group memberships but yu will not need to down the apps of worry about the files.

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Brian:

Use 'groupmod' --- see the manpages for 'groupmod(1M)' and if/as necessary 'find' and modify the group associated with your files and directories.

If all you are changing is the *name* and not the associated 'gid' then you don't need to diddle with running processes nor do you need to 'find' and 'chgrp' files and directories. Remember, its the *number* that matters, not the name.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Sunny Jaisinghani]

Hi Brian

it will be safer if you do this change through sam user and group management. just change the name as suggested by the Guru.

[Reshma Malusare]

Hi brian,
You want to change only group name for few users.right.
then it will not affect files as long as you are not changing gid.

use gropumod command :
The groupmod command modifies a group on the system by altering the appropriate entry in the /etc/group file

groupmod [-g gid [-o] ] [-n name] group

-g gid Change the value of the group ID to gid. gid must be a non-negative decimal integer less than MAXUID as defined in the header file.

-o Allow the gid to be non-unique (i.e., a duplicate).

-n name Change the name of the group to name. name consists of a string of printable characters that may not include a colon (:) or newline (\\ ).