haven't checked, but doesn't -g change the main group for the user? check their entry in /etc/passwd and see if it happened there.

ah, yep:

-g group

Specify an existing group's integer ID or character-string name. It

redefines the user's primary group membership.

Use -G for additional groups.

(see 'man usermod' for details.)

Nope. Not in either, contrary to what the manpage for usermod shows. Where is 'groups' getting its info from?

jayjwa: Assuming you have "group: files" in /etc/nssswitch.conf it comes from /etc/group

hi all

jayjwa: the new group will not affect extisting logins of the user, only new logins. (login(1) is what's setting the groups; an "su - $USER" should do, too.)

Something's off here. termbin.com/dg79 Ignore the escape sequences; they were originally color output.

When a user's primary is that group, he doesn't have to be listed after the group in /etc/groups. It is not necessary for the user to have the primary group also be the secondary group. That is the answer to my question. Sorry for the noise.