Users and Groups Context-Sensitive Helps

The context-sensitive helps in this file are used by both the SMIT and Web-based System Manager applications.

A login name that identifies this user account on the system. The system uses the user name to set the correct environment and access privileges for the user during login. Information in this field is required.

A user name is specified as a string. The actual length of a user name can be up to 8 characters with the default maximum. 9 characters is the default maximum length, including the terminating NULL. The default maximum length can be increased up to 256 characters, including the terminating NULL, making the maximum user name up to 255 characters. You can use letters, numbers, and some special characters in the name. The string cannot start with a hyphen (-), plus (+), tilde (~), or at sign (@). The string cannot contain any spaces or any of the following characters: colon (:), double quote ("), pound sign (#), comma (,), asterisk (*), single quote ('), equal sign (=), newline (\n), tab (\t), backslash (\), forward slash (/), question mark (?), back quote (`), or the key words "ALL" or "default".

Each authorized user has a login name and password to access a user account. One person can have several authorized user accounts on a system but each account must be identified with a unique login name to preserve a secure environment.

It is a good idea to use names that are meaningful to the users on the system. For example, using actual names helps users identify each other for electronic mail, or using a task name helps identify the user account with its purpose.


Specifies the methods through which the user must authenticate successfully before gaining access to the system. The default word compat indicates that normal login procedures will be followed. Therefore, compat allows local and NIS users access to the system.


Specifies the authentication mechanism through which the user is administered. It is used to resolve a remotely administered user to the locally administered domain. This situation might occur when network services unexpectedly fail or network databases are replicated locally. Select from the possible values "files" or "DCE".


One or more system users who can access and work with protected resources. Information in this field is required.

The system uses groups to control access to files and resources by users who do not own them. When a user starts a process, the system associates the process with the user's ID and the group IDs of the groups the user belongs to. If the user owns the resource or is a member of a group that can access it, the system grants read, write, or execute access to it according to the access control list of the resource or file.

A group name is specified as a string. The actual length of a group name can be up to 8 characters with the default maximum. 9 characters is the default maximum length, including the terminating NULL. The default maximum length can be increased up to 256 characters, including the terminating NULL, making the maximum group name up to 255 characters. You can use letters, numbers, and some special characters in the name. The string cannot start with a hyphen (-), plus (+), tilde (~), or at sign (@). The string cannot contain any spaces or any of the following characters: colon (:), double quote ("), pound sign (#), comma (,), asterisk (*), single quote ('), equal sign (=), newline (\n), tab (\t), backslash (\), forward slash (/), question mark (?), back quote (`), or the key words "ALL" or "default".

Information in this field is required.


The system assigns a unique ID associated to the group name. The group IDs are stored in the /etc/group file.


Specifies a string that identifies a unique role name to be added to the system. You cannot use the ALL or default keywords as the role name. The following characters cannot be used:

colon, double quote, single quote, back quote, pound sign, comma, equal sign, slash, back slash, question mark, space, tab, or newline.