# man > getent(1) > **TLDR:** Get entries from Name Service Switch libraries. > - Get list of all groups: `getent group` - See the members of a group: `getent group {{group_name}}` - Get list of all services: `getent services` - Find a username by UID: `getent passwd 1000` - Perform a reverse DNS lookup: `getent hosts {{host}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [_getent_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getent/1/markdown) General Commands Manual [_getent_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getent/1/markdown) ## NAME getent - get entries from Name Service Switch libraries ## SYNOPSIS **getent [_**option_**]... _**database_ _key_**...** ## DESCRIPTION The **getent **command displays entries from databases supported by the Name Service Switch li‐ braries, which are configured in _/etc/nsswitch.conf_. If one or more _key_ arguments are pro‐ vided, 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 enu‐ meration). The _database_ may be any of those supported by the GNU C Library, listed below: **ahosts **When no _key_ is provided, use [**sethostent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sethostent/3/markdown), [**gethostent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gethostent/3/markdown), and [**endhostent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endhostent/3/markdown) to enu‐ merate the hosts database. This is identical to using [**hosts**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/hosts/5/markdown). When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each _key_ in succession to [**getaddrinfo**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getaddrinfo/3/markdown) 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getaddrinfo/3/markdown) in this case includes the **AI_V4MAPPED **flag. ### aliases When no _key_ is provided, use [**setaliasent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setaliasent/3/markdown), [**getaliasent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getaliasent/3/markdown), and [**endaliasent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endaliasent/3/markdown) to enumerate the aliases database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each _key_ in succession to [**getaliasbyname**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getaliasbyname/3/markdown) and display the result. **ethers **When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each _key_ in succession to [**ether_aton**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/etheraton/3/markdown) and [**ether_hostton**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/etherhostton/3/markdown) 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setgrent/3/markdown), [**getgrent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getgrent/3/markdown), and [**endgrent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endgrent/3/markdown) to enumerate the group database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each numeric _key_ to [**getgrgid**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getgrgid/3/markdown) and each nonnumeric _key_ to [**getgrnam**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getgrnam/3/markdown) and display the result. ### gshadow When no _key_ is provided, use [**setsgent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setsgent/3/markdown), [**getsgent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getsgent/3/markdown), and [**endsgent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endsgent/3/markdown) to enumerate the gshadow database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each _key_ in succession to [**getsgnam**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getsgnam/3/markdown) and display the result. **hosts **When no _key_ is provided, use [**sethostent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/sethostent/3/markdown), [**gethostent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gethostent/3/markdown), and [**endhostent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endhostent/3/markdown) to enu‐ merate the hosts database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each _key_ to [**gethostbyaddr**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gethostbyaddr/3/markdown) or [**gethostbyname2**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gethostbyname2/3/markdown), depending on whether a call to [**inet_pton**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/inetpton/3/markdown) 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 **getgrou‐** [**plist**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/plist/3/markdown) 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setnetgrent/3/markdown) and, using [**getnetgrent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getnetgrent/3/markdown) display the resulting string triple (_hostname_, _username_, _domainname_). Alternatively, three _keys_ may be provided, which are interpreted as the _hostname_, _username_, and _do‐_ _mainname_ to match to a netgroup name via [**innetgr**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/innetgr/3/markdown). Enumeration is not supported on **netgroup**, so either one or three _keys_ must be provided. ### networks When no _key_ is provided, use [**setnetent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setnetent/3/markdown), [**getnetent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getnetent/3/markdown), and [**endnetent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endnetent/3/markdown) to enumerate the networks database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each numeric _key_ to [**getnetbyaddr**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getnetbyaddr/3/markdown) and each nonnumeric _key_ to [**getnetbyname**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getnetbyname/3/markdown) and display the re‐ sult. **passwd **When no _key_ is provided, use [**setpwent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setpwent/3/markdown), [**getpwent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getpwent/3/markdown), and [**endpwent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endpwent/3/markdown) to enumerate the passwd database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each numeric _key_ to [**getpwuid**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getpwuid/3/markdown) and each nonnumeric _key_ to [**getpwnam**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getpwnam/3/markdown) and display the result. ### protocols When no _key_ is provided, use [**setprotoent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setprotoent/3/markdown), [**getprotoent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getprotoent/3/markdown), and [**endprotoent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endprotoent/3/markdown) to enumerate the protocols database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each numeric _key_ to [**getprotobynumber**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getprotobynumber/3/markdown) and each nonnumeric _key_ to [**getprotobyname**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getprotobyname/3/markdown) and display the result. **rpc **When no _key_ is provided, use [**setrpcent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setrpcent/3/markdown), [**getrpcent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getrpcent/3/markdown), and [**endrpcent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endrpcent/3/markdown) to enumerate the rpc database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each numeric _key_ to [**getrpcbynumber**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getrpcbynumber/3/markdown) and each nonnumeric _key_ to [**getrpcbyname**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getrpcbyname/3/markdown) and display the re‐ sult. ### services When no _key_ is provided, use [**setservent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setservent/3/markdown), [**getservent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getservent/3/markdown), and [**endservent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endservent/3/markdown) to enu‐ merate the services database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each numeric _key_ to [**getservbynumber**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getservbynumber/3/markdown) and each nonnumeric _key_ to [**getservbyname**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getservbyname/3/markdown) and dis‐ play the result. **shadow **When no _key_ is provided, use [**setspent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/setspent/3/markdown), [**getspent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getspent/3/markdown), and [**endspent**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/endspent/3/markdown) to enumerate the shadow database. When one or more _key_ arguments are provided, pass each _key_ in succession to [**getspnam**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getspnam/3/markdown) and display the result. ## OPTIONS **--service _**service_ ### -s _ Override all databases with the specified service. (Since glibc 2.2.5.) **--service _**database_**:_**service_ ### -s _ Override only specified databases with the specified service. The option may be used multiple times, but only the last service for each database will be used. (Since glibc 2.4.) ### --no-idn ### -i ### --help **-? **Print a usage summary and exit. ### --usage Print a short usage summary and exit. ### --version ### -V ## 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)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/nsswitch.conf/5/markdown) Linux man-pages 6.7 2023-11-01 [_getent_(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/getent/1/markdown)