Module: Etc

Ends the process of scanning through the /etc/group file begun by getgrent, and closes the file.

Ends the process of scanning through the /etc/passwd file begun with getpwent, and closes the file.

Returns an entry from the /etc/group file. The first time it is called it opens the file and returns the first entry; each successive call returns the next entry, or nil if the end of the file has been reached.

To close the file when processing is complete, call endgrent.

Each entry is returned as a Struct::Group:

Group#name contains the name of the group as a String.
Group#passwd contains the encrypted password as a String. An ‘x’ is returned if password access to the group is not available; an empty string is returned if no password is needed to obtain membership of the group.
Group#gid contains the group‘s numeric ID as an integer.
Group#mem is an Array of Strings containing the short login names of the members of the group.

getgrgid(...)

Returns information about the group with specified integer group id (gid), as found in /etc/group.

The information is returned as a Struct::Group; see getgrent above for details.

e.g. Etc.getgrgid(100) -> #<struct Struct::Group name="users", passwd="x", gid=100, mem=["meta", "root"]>

getgrnam(p1)

Returns information about the group with specified String name, as found in /etc/group.

The information is returned as a Struct::Group; see getgrent above for details.

e.g. Etc.getgrnam(‘users’) -> #<struct Struct::Group name="users", passwd="x", gid=100, mem=["meta", "root"]>

getlogin()

Returns the short user name of the currently logged in user. Unfortunately, it is often rather easy to fool getlogin(). Avoid getlogin() for security-related purposes.

e.g.

  Etc.getlogin -> 'guest'

getpwent()

Returns an entry from the /etc/passwd file. The first time it is called it opens the file and returns the first entry; each successive call returns the next entry, or nil if the end of the file has been reached.

To close the file when processing is complete, call endpwent.

Each entry is returned as a Struct::Passwd:

Passwd#name contains the short login name of the user as a String.
Passwd#passwd contains the encrypted password of the user as a String. an ‘x’ is returned if shadow passwords are in use. An ’*’ is returned if the user cannot log in using a password.
Passwd#uid contains the integer user ID (uid) of the user.
Passwd#gid contains the integer group ID (gid) of the user‘s primary group.
Passwd#gecos contains a longer String description of the user, such as a full name. Some Unix systems provide structured information in the gecos field, but this is system-dependent.
Passwd#dir contains the path to the home directory of the user as a String.
Passwd#shell contains the path to the login shell of the user as a String.

getpwnam(p1)

Returns the /etc/passwd information for the user with specified login name.

The information is returned as a Struct::Passwd; see getpwent above for details.

e.g. * Etc.getpwnam(‘root’) -> #<struct Struct::Passwd name="root", passwd="x", uid=0, gid=0, gecos="root",dir="/root", shell="/bin/bash">

getpwuid(...)

Returns the /etc/passwd information for the user with specified integer user id (uid).

The information is returned as a Struct::Passwd; see getpwent above for details.

e.g. * Etc.getpwuid(0) -> #<struct Struct::Passwd name="root", passwd="x", uid=0, gid=0, gecos="root",dir="/root", shell="/bin/bash">

group()

Provides a convenient Ruby iterator which executes a block for each entry in the /etc/group file.

The code block is passed an Etc::Group struct; see getgrent above for details.

Example:

    require 'etc'

    Etc.group {|g|
      puts g.name + ": " + g.mem.join(', ')
    }

passwd()

Provides a convenient Ruby iterator which executes a block for each entry in the /etc/passwd file.

The code block is passed an Etc::Passwd struct; see getpwent above for details.

Example:

    require 'etc'

    Etc.passwd {|u|
      puts u.name + " = " + u.gecos
    }

setgrent()

Resets the process of reading the /etc/group file, so that the next call to getgrent will return the first entry again.

setpwent()

Resets the process of reading the /etc/passwd file, so that the next call to getpwent will return the first entry again.

Methods

Public Class methods