Using usermod while the user is logged

[Enrico Venturi]

Hi colleagues,
I want to change the primary and / or the supplementary groups of some users and I don't want to make them to logoff ....
what can I do?
If I try I get the result "The login snml is currently in use" ......

thanks
Enrico

[Asif Sharif]

I think you need to logoff the user before changing the group.

Regards,
Asif Sharif

[Duncan Edmonstone]

You will have to *carefully* edit the passwd file yourself (assuming thats where you keep your user data).

After you've made the change, the users env won't change until they either logout and back in or issue a newgrp command.

HTH

Duncan

[Srimalik]

The password file will contain entries like fro all the users

root:x:0:1:Super-User:/:/sbin/sh

:

[Srimalik]

the password file is /etc/passwd

[Doug Burton · Accepted solution]

You can try this while the user is logged in:

/usr/sam/lbin/usermod.sam -F -G $NEWGRP $EMPLID

[Doug Burton]

Sorry, forgot to mention (it may be obvious?) to change the NEWGRP to the group you want to change the user to and the EMPLID should be the users ID.