In Linux, groups are used to manage permissions for multiple users at once. The commands groupadd and groupdel help you create and delete groups in the system.

1. groupadd

The groupadd command is used to create a new group.

Basic Syntax

groupadd groupname

Examples

Create a new group

groupadd developers

Create a group with a specific Group ID (GID)

groupadd -g 1050 staff

Create a system group

(System groups have lower GIDs, usually below 1000)

groupadd -r sysgroup

2. groupdel

The groupdel command is used to delete an existing group.

Basic Syntax

groupdel groupname

Example

Delete a group

groupdel developers

Important Notes

• You cannot delete a group if it is the primary group of any user.

• You must change the user’s primary group before deleting it.

• Deleting a group does not delete the users in it; it only removes the group entry from the system.