How to List Users in Linux | Using the getent command | Using the /etc/passwd file

How to List Users in Linux, There are two main ways to list users in Linux:

1. Using the getent command

The getent command is a versatile tool that can be used to retrieve entries from a variety of databases, including the system password database. To list all users in Linux using the getent command, simply run the following command:

getent passwd
This will output a list of all users on the system, one per line. Each line will contain the following information:

Username
Password (encrypted)
User ID (UID)
Group ID (GID)
GECOS field (usually contains the user's full name and other information)
Home directory
Shell
2. Using the /etc/passwd file

The /etc/passwd file is a text file that contains information about all users on the system. To list all users in Linux using the /etc/passwd file, you can use the following command:

cat /etc/passwd
This will output the contents of the /etc/passwd file to the terminal. You can then scroll through the output to view all users on the system.

Which method should you use?

If you just need to list all users on the system, then the getent command is the easiest and most straightforward option. However, if you need more information about each user, such as their home directory or shell, then you can use the /etc/passwd file.

You can also use the grep command to filter the output of the getent command or the /etc/passwd file to find specific users. For example, to find a user with the username john, you would run the following command:

getent passwd | grep john
This would output a line containing information about the user john.