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NAME
getent - get entries from Name Service Switch libraries
SYNOPSIS
getent database [key ...]
DESCRIPTION
The getent command displays entries from databases supported by the Name Service Switch libraries, which
are configured in /etc/nsswitch.conf. If one or more key arguments are provided, then only the entries
that match the supplied keys will be displayed. Otherwise, if no key is provided, all entries will be
displayed (unless the database does not support enumeration).
The database may be any of those supported by the GNU C Library, listed below:
ahosts When no key is provided, use sethostent(3), gethostent(3), and endhostent(3) to enumerate
the hosts database. This is identical to using hosts. When one or more key arguments are
provided, pass each key in succession to getaddrinfo(3) with the address family AF_UNSPEC,
enumerating each socket address structure returned.
ahostsv4 Same as ahosts, but use the address family AF_INET.
ahostsv6 Same as ahosts, but use the address family AF_INET6. The call to getaddrinfo(3) in this
case includes the AI_V4MAPPED flag.
aliases When no key is provided, use setaliasent(3), getaliasent(3), and endaliasent(3) to enumerate
the aliases database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each key in
succession to getaliasbyname(3) and display the result.
ethers When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each key in succession to ether_aton(3)
and ether_hostton(3) until a result is obtained, and display the result. Enumeration is not
supported on ethers, so a key must be provided.
group When no key is provided, use setgrent(3), getgrent(3), and endgrent(3) to enumerate the
group database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each numeric key to
getgrgid(3) and each nonnumeric key to getgrnam(3) and display the result.
gshadow When no key is provided, use setsgent(3), getsgent(3), and endsgent(3) to enumerate the
gshadow database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each key in succession
to getsgnam(3) and display the result.
hosts When no key is provided, use sethostent(3), gethostent(3), and endhostent(3) to enumerate
the hosts database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each key to
gethostbyaddr(3) or gethostbyname2(3), depending on whether a call to inet_pton(3) indicates
that the key is an IPv6 or IPv4 address or not, and display the result.
initgroups
When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each key in succession to getgrouplist(3)
and display the result. Enumeration is not supported on initgroups, so a key must be
provided.
netgroup When one key is provided, pass the key to setnetgrent(3) and, using getnetgrent(3) display
the resulting string triple (hostname, username, domainname). Alternatively, three keys may
be provided, which are interpreted as the hostname, username and domainname to match to a
netgroup name via innetgr(3). Enumeration is not supported on netgroup, so either one or
three keys must be provided.
networks When no key is provided, use setnetent(3), getnetent(3), and endnetent(3) to enumerate the
networks database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each numeric key to
getnetbyaddr(3) and each nonnumeric key to getnetbyname(3) and display the result.
passwd When no key is provided, use setpwent(3), getpwent(3), and endpwent(3) to enumerate the
passwd database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each numeric key to
getpwuid(3) and each nonnumeric key to getpwnam(3) and display the result.
protocols When no key is provided, use setprotoent(3), getprotoent(3), and endprotoent(3) to enumerate
the protocols database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each numeric key
to getprotobynumber(3) and each nonnumeric key to getprotobyname(3) and display the result.
rpc When no key is provided, use setrpcent(3), getrpcent(3), and endrpcent(3) to enumerate the
rpc database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each numeric key to
getrpcbynumber(3) and each nonnumeric key to getrpcbyname(3) and display the result.
services When no key is provided, use setservent(3), getservent(3), and endservent(3) to enumerate
the services database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each numeric key
to getservbynumber(3) and each nonnumeric key to getservbyname(3) and display the result.
shadow When no key is provided, use setspent(3), getspent(3), and endspent(3) to enumerate the
shadow database. When one or more key arguments are provided, pass each key in succession
to getspnam(3) and display the result.
EXIT STATUS
One of the following exit values can be returned by getent:
0 Command completed successfully.
1 Missing arguments, or database unknown.
2 One or more supplied key could not be found in the database.
3 Enumeration not supported on this database.
SEE ALSO
nsswitch.conf(5)
COLOPHON
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