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id Command in Linux

id Command in Linux

By Team Scaler
3 mins read
Last updated: 1 Sep 2023
146 views
Topics Covered

Overview

In the world of Linux, the 'id' command is a useful tool that provides the real and effective user and group IDs of a particular user account. The id command in Linux is used mainly to identify the UID (User ID) and GID (Group ID) of a user account, including the groups a user belongs to. This tool plays a critical role in Linux administration, specifically in managing user permissions and group affiliations.

Syntax of id Command in Linux

The basic syntax of the id command in Linux is as follows:

Where:

  • option: This argument allows you to specify different options to modify the output of the id command, such as '-u' for user ID, '-g' for group ID, and '-n' for name instead of numeric ID.
  • username: This optional argument specifies the user for which to display ID information. If no username is provided, the id command defaults to the currently logged in user.

Options in id Command in Linux

  1. -u or --user: Prints the user ID (UID) for the given user.

    For example -

    Output:

    This will print the user ID of the 'username'.

  2. -g or --group: Prints the effective group ID for the given user.

    For example -

    Output:

    This will print the effective group ID of the 'username'.

  3. -n or --name: Displays the name of the user or group ID for the given user instead of the ID number.

    For example -

    Output:

    This will print the username corresponding to the user ID.

Example Usages

  • Basic usage of the id command with no options.:

    Output:

    Explanation: The id command with no options will display the UID, GID, and all the groups the current user belongs to.

  • Use the id command with a username.:

    Output:

    Explanation: The id command with a username will display the UID, GID, and all the groups the specified user belongs to.

Tips

  • The id command in Linux can be combined with other commands via pipe (|) to extract and utilize user information for various tasks.

  • The id command is useful for scripting and automation tasks related to user management.

Advanced Use Cases of id Command in Linux

  • Check if a user belongs to a specific group.:

    Output:

    Explanation: This command lists all the groups the user belongs to, and then uses 'grep' to search for a specific group ('sudo' in this case). If the user is a part of the 'sudo' group, it will be printed in the output.

  • Get the user and group information in a single line.:

    Output:

    Explanation: This command prints the username and primary group name of the specified user in a single line.

  • List all the groups a user is a part of in a simple list.:

    Output:

    Explanation: This command displays all the groups the current user belongs to, with each group name printed on a separate line.

Conclusion

  • The id command in Linux is a powerful tool for user and group ID management.

  • It provides useful information about user and group IDs and helps manage user permissions and group affiliations.

  • Through various options and flags, the id command in Linux can provide detailed user and group information in flexible formats.